bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

paywallTypes

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Agence France-Presse

Elon Musk said X was hit Monday by a major cyberattack, raising questions as to whether the politically divisive billionaire was being targeted or his decision to gut staff at what was once Twitter is haunting the social network.
Reports of problems with X started early Monday, with users in Asia, Europe, and North America saying they could not access the platform, according to the Downdetector tracking site.
“There was (still is) a massive cyberattack against X,” Musk said in a post on the platform, which was working sporadically as the day wore on.
The SpaceX and Tesla boss also blamed a cyberattack, although he provided no evidence, for crashing the site last year when an interview with Donald Trump was about to be streamed on it.

Musk shared a post from an account called DogeDesigner suggesting that the latest cyberattack was another burst of animosity towards him, in line with recent protests against the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) that he leads and vandalisation of Tesla facilities.
Musk speculated that such an attack would take tremendous resources, and that it was the work of a country or large coordinated group.
During an interview on Fox Business, he alleged that computers used in the attack appeared to have digital addresses in the Ukraine area and that X was still trying to figure out exactly what happened.
Dark Storm, a pro-Palestinian “hacktivism” group, took credit for the attack via its Telegram page, but has not provided proof that it was behind the disruptions. A representative for Dark Storm told Bloomberg News that the attack was part of a wider hacktivism effort against Israel.
Cybersecurity experts say that it is difficult to assess the situation without being able to see into X operations, but the duration of the trouble is a sign of an attack.
“It’s cyberwar hitting at full force,” said Chad Cragle of cyber defence platform Deepwatch.




“With Musk in the spotlight and political tensions at a peak, these attacks bear all the indicators of nation-state aggression.”
Trump responded last week to growing criticism over unprecedented cuts to the US government overseen by his billionaire adviser Musk, saying they should be carefully targeted.
“We say the ‘scalpel’ rather than the ‘hatchet’,” Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social.
The president’s message represents the first significant move to rein in the power accorded to Musk, as Doge works toward gutting federal staffing and spending.
Doge’s cost-cutting campaign has faced increasing resistance on multiple fronts, including court rulings and some pressure from lawmakers.
Trump confirmed that he had convened his cabinet to deliver the message that they, not Musk, were in charge of their departments.
Outages on the X social media platform left tens of thousands of users unable to access the site intermittently over the course of hours, according to monitors.
At the peak, more than 40,000 people reported outages, the site said.
After Musk bought Twitter for US$44 billion in late 2022, the majority of employees left or were fired, raising concerns about whether staffing was in place to keep the platform safe and stable.
Under his ownership, the platform has experienced technical issues and reinstated accounts of right-wing conspiracy theorists and Trump.
Advocacy groups say misinformation has flourished on X under Musk, who has come under fire for spreading it to his huge online audience.
Additional reporting by Bloomberg


Who is Elon Musk’s ex, Jennifer Gwynne? The Tesla billionaire and Doge head allegedly has 14 children, some with Grimes and Shivon Zilis – but who was his first known girlfriend?

Elon Musk and the worrying political reach of the super-rich

Trump to buy a Tesla in show of support for Musk

Elon Musk says X hit by ‘major cyberattack’

X (formerly Twitter)

Elon Musk wears a shirt that says ‘Tech Support’ during a cabinet meeting with US President Donald Trump. Photo: AP

Elon Musk has been leading a cost-cutting programme of the US government. Photo: AP

Poland and US clash on X over Ukraine’s access to Musk’s Starlink

Poland pays for Kyiv to use the services of Elon Musk’s Starlink, which provides crucial internet connectivity to Ukraine and its military. File photo: Reuters

Grimes speaks out after Elon Musk brings their son to Trump’s Oval Office press conference

Grimes attends the Met Gala in New York in September 2021. Photo: TNS

Elon Musk speaks as he carries his son, X Æ A-12 on his shoulders in the Oval Office of the White House on Tuesday. Photos: Reuters

Elon Musk defends US cuts as son X steals show in Oval Office appearance

Elon Musk speaks as he carries his son X on his shoulders. Photo: AFP

US President Donald Trump speaks to Elon Musk’s son X in the Oval Office. Photo: AFP

Elon Musk carries his son X on his shoulders. Photo: Reuters

X, Elon Musk’s son, next to US President Donald Trump. Photo: Reuters

German activists claim victory in case against Musk’s X, ahead of election

Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of social media platform X. Photo: Reuters

News

World

United States & Canada

Europe

Musk said in an interview the cyberattack came from IP addresses originating in the Ukraine area


Musk said in an interview the cyberattack came from IP addresses originating in the Ukraine area.
