March 26, 2025
Lessons from the recent Twitter outage, and why we should all be concerned
Breaking down the incident in simple words for everyone to understand
By Gautam Mengle
3 min read
The recent Netflix series Zero Day imagined a world where cyberattacks cripple major institutions. Even as we were debating if the series had anything of value beyond Robert De Niro, the outages faced by scores of Twitter (now X) users revealed just how real and dangerous such threats can be.
In the aftermath of the outages, cybersecurity experts traced the issue to a coordinated Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. In simple terms, a DDoS attack overwhelms a server with massive volumes of traffic, rendering the platform inaccessible.
Imagine a lift equipped to carry 50 kilograms. You overload it with 1000 kg and the lift not only is unable to move, it crashes. A DDoS attack does the same to the server of the target website, app service. Every server is equipped to handle a specific number of 'pings' — interactions from users — per second. A DDoS attack sends thousands of pings per second to the server, causing it to crash.
Investigations have also suggested that botnets — networks of infected devices controlled by attackers — played a key role. Each infected or hacked device that a hacker is able to control to do his bidding is called a bot, and a network of such bot is known as a botnet.
These botnets consist of thousands, sometimes millions, of compromised devices unknowingly enlisted to bombard Twitter's servers. Since these botnets are distributed across the globe, tracing the origin is complex, giving attackers an advantage.
A major concern is the increasing involvement of IoT (Internet of Things) devices in such botnets. Smart home gadgets like cameras, smart TVs, and even internet-connected refrigerators are often poorly secured. Attackers exploit their vulnerabilities, adding them to botnets without the owner's knowledge. The infamous Mirai botnet, for instance, weaponized thousands of IoT devices in 2016 to launch one of the largest DDoS attacks in history, disrupting major websites like Netflix, Reddit, and Twitter itself. Just to add some context as to how bad it can get, the Mirai botnet is still growing, adding devices to its fold and becoming bigger and more complex.
While investigations are ongoing, early findings suggest links to state-sponsored actors with a political agenda. DDoS attacks are increasingly becoming tools for disruption, often targeting news outlets, financial institutions, and government services.
But most importantly, what makes this attack particularly impactful is the timing. Since Elon Musk introduced monetization features on Twitter, countless users worldwide now rely on the platform for income. From content creators earning through ad revenue to small businesses using Twitter for promotions, the outage wasn't just an inconvenience — it was a direct hit to their livelihoods. Those responsible for the Twitter attack most likely knew this, and hence, the attack was not just a platform outage denying its users the right to tweet about their day; it was a calculated economic blow for thousands of users across the globe.
DDoS attacks have moved from the realm of "worst-case scenarios" to tangible threats. Recent examples include the attack on New Zealand's Stock Exchange in 2020, which forced trading to halt for days, and a 2022 attack targeting Finland's Parliament website during heightened geopolitical tensions.
For users, the most significant takeaway is to recognize that such attacks are more than technical hiccups — they present real risks. Malicious actors often exploit public panic during such incidents. For instance, phishing scams posing as "Twitter recovery" links emerged during the recent outage, preying on users eager to regain access.
On the prevention front, simple measures can go a long way. Regularly update your IoT devices with the latest security patches to reduce the risk of them being hijacked by botnets. Verify before you click anything. Enable multi-factor authentication to make it even harder to hack your devices. And do not give in to panic. Cybercriminals thrive on chaos. Avoid falling for urgency-based scams that demand immediate action by "clicking the link enclosed".
DDoS was never a hypothetical possibility but now, it hits all of us directly where it hurts. Is your armour strong enough?
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Gautam Mengle I am a journalist turned cybersecurity awareness professional working to make cyber-awareness fun, so that everyone may…
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