Elon Musk’s X DDoS Accusation Ignores Basics of Cyber Attacks, Expert Says

Elon Musk’s claim that the DDoS attack on X (previously Twitter) stemmed from Ukraine drew apprehension from cybersecurity professionals, who argue that associating attacks based upon IP addresses is undependable.

Attackers regularly utilize virtual personal networks (VPNs) and other techniques to obfuscate their origins, making determining a particular geographical source challenging.

On Monday, X was the target of a dispersed denial-of-service attack that periodically closed down the popular social networks website for users worldwide. The X DDoS attack was connected to Dark Storm Group, a well-known hackivist group understood for introducing comparable massive cyber interruptions.

Hours after the attack, Musk declared throughout an interview with Fox Service that the IP addresses connected with the attack came from the Ukraine location.

Tech-savvy users on X rapidly mentioned that IP addresses can be masked or spoofed, making them appear to stem from one area when they really stem from another.

Cybersecurity specialists likewise warned versus reasoning based exclusively on IP address information.

” If one were performing a DDoS attack you would not always see each connection stemming from an IP address from a particular country or netblock,” Scott Renna, Senior Citizen Solutions Designer with blockchain security company Halborn, informed Decrypt “By meaning, the attack would need to originate from several IP addresses.”

Renna mentioned that assaulters disperse their traffic throughout many places to prevent detection and mitigation efforts.

” From an optics viewpoint and a stopping and avoidance viewpoint, it’s simply not how it’s usually done,” he stated.

While the origins of the X attack stay a secret, DDoS-as-a-Service sites are turning up to assist in the launch of massive attacks. These sites let clients pay to introduce DDoS attacks.

There are 2 primary kinds of DaaS.

” Stresser” services, which are genuine tools business utilize to evaluate and enhance their IT facilities. Then there are “Booter” services, which are harmful platforms developed to interrupt or remove targeted systems.

Cybersecurity groups can utilize DDoS blackhole routing and geo-blocking to reduce the effect of DDoS attacks, which might have avoided the kind of attack that interfered with X today.

Blackhole routing is an emergency situation procedure that quickly obstructs all traffic to a targeted IP throughout an attack, however it likewise impacts genuine users, making it a momentary service.

Geo-blocking limitations gain access to from high-risk areas, minimizing cyber hazards without interfering with most users.

In April 2022, web security supplier Cloudflare effectively alleviated an enormous DDoS attack targeting an unknown cryptocurrency site that tried to overwhelm the service with 15.3 million demands per second.

While services like Cloudflare stand out at preventing cyber hazards, Renna stressed the significance of getting ready for prospective failures.

” Provider like Cloudflare do a great task for organizations,” Renna stated. “However it boils down to what occurs when those stop working.”

Modified by Sebastian Sinclair