In the wake of a global outage on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, a hacking group named “Dark Storm Team” has taken responsibility for the cyberattack that disrupted the platform. The outage, which caused widespread issues for users, led SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to accuse a “massive cyberattack” as the cause. Musk’s statement followed after several hours of outages and was accompanied by the group’s claim of responsibility, sparking a deeper investigation into their motives and capabilities.
Dark Storm Team, a cyber hacking group founded in 2023, has quickly garnered attention for their sophisticated cyber warfare tactics. They are believed to be responsible for the Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack on X, which caused widespread disruptions. The group claimed the attack led to significant backlash and public concern about the platform’s security.
Dark Storm Team’s Claim and Allegations
In the aftermath of the cyberattack, Dark Storm Team took to Telegram to publicly claim responsibility for the incident. In their post, they boasted about taking X offline, sharing a screenshot of a real-time connectivity status page displaying numerous failed connection attempts from locations across the globe. This sophisticated attack disrupted services for many users worldwide, making it clear that the hack was organised and impactful.
Who is Dark Storm Team?
Dark Storm Team, founded in 2023, is a hacking group known for its advanced cyber warfare tactics. The group has executed high-profile cyberattacks, breaching complex security systems and disrupting large-scale operations, indicating a well-established and dangerous capacity for cyber warfare.
According to cybersecurity experts, Dark Storm Team operates with a pro-Palestinian stance, a political ideology that appears to influence their targets. Orange Cyberdefense, a cybersecurity firm, has reported that the group has specifically vowed to target the websites of NATO countries, Israel, and other nations that support Israel. This politically motivated approach aligns with the group’s pattern of attacks, which seems to focus on entities they consider aligned with opposing political agendas.
Musk’s Statement and the Ukraine Connection
Musk further alleged that this ‘attack’ has been carried out with a “lot of resources” and a large, coordinated “group and/or country” involved. “There was (still is) a massive cyberattack against X. 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. Tracing,” he wrote on X.
There was (still is) a massive cyberattack against 𝕏.
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.
Tracing … https://t.co/aZSO1a92no
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 10, 2025
In addition to the Dark Storm Team’s claim of responsibility, Musk suggested that Ukraine may have been involved in the cyberattack. During an interview with Larry Kudlow, Musk stated, “There was a massive cyberattack aimed at bringing down the X system, with IP addresses originating from the Ukraine region.” This comment raised eyebrows, as it implied that the attack could be tied to Ukraine, possibly as part of a broader geopolitical conflict.
Musk’s statement about the origin of the IP addresses added a layer of intrigue to the situation, suggesting that the attack could have been state-sponsored or at least politically motivated.
The X Outage and User Reactions
The cyberattack had a severe impact on X, leading to widespread user frustration. According to Downdetector, which tracks online outages, the service disruptions peaked at around 3 pm ET, with over 2,600 users reporting issues. Another spike in complaints occurred between 6 pm and 7:30 pm, when more than 1,300 users experienced problems. The outages were significant, and the platform’s instability continued throughout the day, with many users unable to access their accounts or post content.
Some frustrated users took to Downdetector to vent their anger, with one even suggesting that Elon Musk should “fire himself” due to his handling of X. A user from India reported that the platform was not working in the country, further underscoring the global nature of the attack. The DDoS attack had a clear international reach, impacting users across various continents and raising concerns about the vulnerability of social media platforms to such coordinated cyberattacks.
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