Elon Musk’s social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, encountered significant disruptions on Monday, with over 41,000 users reporting access issues on both the app and website, according to DownDetector. Musk attributed the outage to a “massive cyberattack,” claiming it involved substantial resources.
Key Facts
– At approximately 10:03 a.m. EDT, more than 41,000 users reported difficulties on X, primarily with the app and website functionality.
– Following this peak, incident reports decreased, but between 25,000 and 36,000 users encountered issues again from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
– Earlier, at around 5:43 a.m., X experienced similar issues, with reports hitting a peak of 22,766 just before 6 a.m., although these problems appeared to resolve within an hour.
– By 1:30 p.m., Musk claimed on X that the platform was facing a “massive cyberattack” suggesting potential involvement of a coordinated group or even a nation-state. In a later appearance on Fox Business Network, he mentioned that the source appeared to be linked to IP addresses in the Ukraine area. Neither Musk nor X responded to further inquiries from Forbes.
What Has Musk Said About The Outage?
Aside from his post about the cyberattack and a brief interview comment, Musk’s responses were limited. He engaged with users expressing support, with one stating “they want to silence you and this platform,” to which he affirmed, “Yes.”
What Were The Problems With X?
DownDetector’s reports indicated that 58% of complaints were about the mobile app, 31% were related to the website, while only 11% cited server connection issues.
Is It Likely X Faced A Cybersecurity Attack?
Experts are cautious about confirming a cyberattack. Cliff Steinhauer, from the National Cybersecurity Alliance, emphasized that attributing such events in real-time is complex and premature. He noted that while large-scale attacks do occur, individual actors could also cause significant disruptions. Nicholas Reese, a cyber operations expert, pointed out that the brief nature of the incident raises questions about its classification as a state-sponsored attack.
Has X Faced Cyberattacks In The Past?
Yes, Musk has previously claimed that technical issues on X were linked to cyberattacks. A notable example occurred in August 2022 when X’s Spaces feature malfunctioned during a live interview with former President Donald Trump, which Musk attributed to a massive DDoS attack. However, experts were skeptical, referencing similar issues during another significant event earlier that year.
Have Musk’s Other Companies Faced Attacks?
Allegations of attacks are not limited to X; reports indicate that Tesla has also faced vandalism targeting its vehicles and charging stations recently. These incidents coincided with growing public scrutiny and legal challenges directed at Musk due to his political influence as an advisor to Trump, as well as his initiatives to reduce federal employment.
Key Background
Since Musk’s acquisition of X in 2022, the platform has faced a series of outages, especially following staff reductions. In 2023, these issues persisted, often occurring after announcements of rule changes, such as limits on unverified user post visibility enacted to combat data scraping and manipulation.
