A massive cyber attack hit platform X (formerly Twitter) on March 10, preventing access for thousands of users worldwide: the hacker group Dark Storm, known for its ties with Russia and active since 2023, claimed responsibility for the action.
However, the restoration of the platform occurred quickly, according to what was stated by the owner of X, Elon Musk.
The hacker DDoS attack on X and the claim of responsibility
The offensive was a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, which overwhelms the servers with a high number of requests, making the site inaccessible for a period of time.
SpyoSecure, a cybersecurity organization, reported on X that Dark Storm claimed the attack through a post on Telegram, which was later deleted for violating the platform’s rules.
According to the evidence shared on X, Dark Storm has published images of failed connection attempts from various parts of the world, accompanied by the statement of having “taken Twitter offline.”
Even Ed Krassenstein, co-founder of the marketplace NFTz.me, confirmed that he is in contact with the leader of Dark Storm, who stated that the attack was just a demonstration of strength, without political motivations.
Elon Musk has confirmed the attack on X, stating in an interview with Fox Business that the origin of the hackers’ IP addresses appears to be located in the region of Ukraine.
“We are not exactly sure what happened, but we suffered a massive cyberattack with IP addresses that seem to originate from the Ukraine area.”
It would not be the first DDoS attack suffered by the platform. Last August, Musk had reported a similar action that occurred shortly before his interview with the then-presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Dark Storm: the hacker group with international ties
Dark Storm is a pro-Palestinian hacker group, with ties to Russia, active since 2023. Its cyber operations have often focused against NATO member countries, increasing the attention of cybersecurity authorities.
The action against X is part of a context of increasing tension in the technological and political sector.
In particular with Musk at the center of various controversies, including protests in the United States against Tesla and decisions related to his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a policy aimed at reducing government expenses.
While X was under attack, Tesla faced a turbulent period in the stock market. The value of Tesla’s shares dropped by 15%, reaching 222 dollars per share.
In the after-hours session, the decline continued, reaching 215 dollars per share, according to data from Google Finance.
Despite the recent decline, Tesla’s shares have recorded a 24% growth in the last year, while still remaining far from the all-time high of 480 dollars, reached on December 17, 2024.
Musk has defended his business decisions, arguing that the DOGE project is reducing waste of public money on initiatives poorly supported by taxpayers. However, the wave of protests and the recent cyber attack add new pressures to his activities.
An attack that raises questions
The DDoS attack on X and the claim by Dark Storm highlight an increasingly frequent phenomenon of cyberattacks against global digital infrastructures. Elon Musk’s social platform has become a target of particular interest, both for political and economic reasons.
The rapid restoration of the service demonstrates a high resilience of the platform, but the episode reignites the debate on cybersecurity and on the role of hacker groups with international ties.
It remains to be seen what actions X will take to prevent future attacks and if the tensions between Musk, his opponents, and geopolitical players will have further repercussions in the digital and financial world.
