New Delhi: In a dramatic turn of events, the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, was hit by a massive cyberattack, causing widespread outages that affected over 40,000 users worldwide. The hacktivist group Dark Storm Team claimed responsibility for the assault, which involved a sophisticated Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack. Elon Musk, CEO of X, acknowledged the attack, suggesting it was a highly coordinated effort that could involve significant resources or even a nation-state.
The attack on X is part of a broader campaign by Dark Storm Team, a pro-Palestinian hacktivist group known for targeting entities perceived as supporting Israel. Their operations include DDoS attacks and other forms of cyber warfare, often utilizing botnets composed of compromised devices such as personal computers and IoT devices. This approach allows them to overwhelm servers with fake requests, crippling the target’s ability to function.
Dark Storm’s motivations for targeting X are believed to be linked to Elon Musk’s support for Israel, which has made him a controversial figure politically. The group’s activities extend beyond ideology, as they also profit from selling cyberattack services, including DDoS attacks and database breaches. Their previous targets have included NATO countries, Israel, and U.S. infrastructure, such as a notable DDoS attack on John F. Kennedy International Airport.
In response to the attack, X deployed DDoS protection measures, including the use of Cloudflare to mitigate further disruptions. The platform now requires users to complete a captcha when their IP address generates an excessive number of requests, ensuring a safer user experience.
Dark Storm’s collaboration with pro-Russian entities has expanded their operational reach, allowing them to sell hacking tools and services through various channels. This level of sophistication and coordination underscores the growing threat posed by hacktivist groups, which continue to disrupt major technology platforms worldwide.
