On March 10, 2025, X, formerly known as Twitter, experienced a significant global outage affecting users across Asia, Europe, and North America. Reports indicate that over 40,000 users encountered issues accessing the platform, with disruptions beginning around 5:30 AM Eastern Time.
Elon Musk, owner of X, attributed the outage to a "massive cyber-attack" originating from the "Ukraine area." In a series of posts on X, Musk suggested that the attack was executed with substantial resources, possibly implicating a large coordinated group or a nation-state. He stated, "We get attacked every day, but this was done with a lot of resources. Either a large, coordinated group and/or a country is involved."
However, cybersecurity experts have raised questions about the attribution to Ukraine. Check Point Research (CPR), a cyber threat intelligence firm, identified a pro-Palestinian hacking group known as The Dark Storm Team as the entity claiming responsibility for the attack. This group, which had been inactive for some time, has recently resurfaced and is known for launching Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks targeting Western entities, including those in the United States, Ukraine, the UAE, and Israel.
The Dark Storm Team has a history of sophisticated cyber warfare tactics and has successfully breached high-security systems in the past. In recent months, they have targeted critical infrastructures such as Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Haifa Port in Israel, and the UAE’s Ministry of Defense. Their resurgence aligns with a pledge to intensify cyberattacks on the government websites of NATO countries, Israel, and nations supporting Israel.
The recent attack on X underscores the evolving landscape of cyber threats, where attribution can be complex, and motivations may span geopolitical and ideological spectrums. While Musk's comments point toward Ukraine, the involvement of The Dark Storm Team suggests a broader context, highlighting the challenges in pinpointing the exact origins and intentions behind such cyberattacks.
Similar groups such as RedJulliett from China have been linked to attacks targeted at Kenyan government agencies. The group reportedly hacked the finance ministry, the president’s office, and the spy agency in an attempt to gain information on debt the country owes China.
Another hacker group called Anonymous Sudan reportedly hacked into Kenya's eCitizen platform, including NTSA, and disrupted its operations using a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. Moreover, the group's action was claimed to be in response to Kenya's supposed interference in Sudanese affairs.
As of now, X has restored its services, and investigations are ongoing to determine the precise source and nature of the attack. Users are advised to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities on the platform.
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