Company Details
x
2,221
175,235
None
x.company
0
X, _2097941
In-progress

X, The Moonshot Factory Company CyberSecurity Posture
x.companyWe create breakthrough technologies to help solve some of the world’s biggest problems. Born at Google, we got our start creating self-driving cars and smart glasses. Since then, we’ve continued to bring sci-fi ideas into reality.
Company Details
x
2,221
175,235
None
x.company
0
X, _2097941
In-progress
Between 600 and 649

XMF Global Score (TPRM)XXXX

Description: In 2025, **X** suffered a catastrophic data breach stemming from misconfigured backend systems and insider threats during layoffs. Over **200 million user records** (later expanded to **2.8 billion records totaling 400GB**) were exposed, including **emails, bios, follower counts, user IDs, locations, and interaction histories**. The leak originated from legacy Twitter infrastructure clashing with new AI-driven features (e.g., Grok AI), bypassing privacy controls and enabling public API access to private data. Opportunistic scrapers and disgruntled employees exploited the vulnerability, fueling black-market data sales. The breach triggered **regulatory investigations (GDPR, FTC)**, **advertiser pullbacks**, **class-action lawsuits**, and **user migration** due to eroded trust. Financial losses included **$285,000/hour during outages**, with long-term reputational and legal costs projected in the billions. The incident underscored systemic failures in **access controls, transparency, and AI integration**, amplifying calls for federal privacy reforms.


X, The Moonshot Factory has 0.0% fewer incidents than the average of same-industry companies with at least one recorded incident.
X, The Moonshot Factory has 56.25% more incidents than the average of all companies with at least one recorded incident.
X, The Moonshot Factory reported 1 incidents this year: 0 cyber attacks, 0 ransomware, 0 vulnerabilities, 1 data breaches, compared to industry peers with at least 1 incident.
XMF cyber incidents detection timeline including parent company and subsidiaries

We create breakthrough technologies to help solve some of the world’s biggest problems. Born at Google, we got our start creating self-driving cars and smart glasses. Since then, we’ve continued to bring sci-fi ideas into reality.


Aarhus Universitet blev grundlagt i 1928 og er i dag i den absolutte verdenselite på flere forskningsfelter. Aarhus Universitet (AU) er blandt verdens 10 bedste universiteter grundlagt inden for de seneste 100 år og har en lang tradition for partnerskaber med nogle af verdens bedste forskningsinst

The Spanish National Research Council (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-CSIC) is a government agency for basic and applied scientific research. It is the largest public research performing organisation in Spain, with 126 centers. El Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (

The Health Care Engineering Systems Center (HCESC) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign provides clinical immersion and fosters collaboration between engineers and physicians. The goal is to use our expertise in the broad areas of simulation technologies, smart health systems, data anal

Københavns Universitet er med cirka 40.000 studerende og 9.000 medarbejdere en af Nordens største forsknings- og uddannelsesinstitutioner. Københavns Universitets mål er at drive forskning af højeste kvalitet, at tilbyde forskningsbaseret uddannelse til det højeste akademiske niveau, og at formid

Chez Ipsos, nous sommes passionnément curieux des individus, des marchés, des marques et de la société. Nous aidons nos clients à naviguer plus vite et plus aisément dans un monde en profonde mutation. Nous leur apportons l'inspiration nécessaire à la prise de décisions stratégiques. Nous
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Explore insights on cybersecurity incidents, risk posture, and Rankiteo's assessments.
The official website of X, The Moonshot Factory is https://x.company.
According to Rankiteo, X, The Moonshot Factory’s AI-generated cybersecurity score is 629, reflecting their Poor security posture.
According to Rankiteo, X, The Moonshot Factory currently holds 0 security badges, indicating that no recognized compliance certifications are currently verified for the organization.
According to Rankiteo, X, The Moonshot Factory is not certified under SOC 2 Type 1.
According to Rankiteo, X, The Moonshot Factory does not hold a SOC 2 Type 2 certification.
According to Rankiteo, X, The Moonshot Factory is not listed as GDPR compliant.
According to Rankiteo, X, The Moonshot Factory does not currently maintain PCI DSS compliance.
According to Rankiteo, X, The Moonshot Factory is not compliant with HIPAA regulations.
According to Rankiteo,X, The Moonshot Factory is not certified under ISO 27001, indicating the absence of a formally recognized information security management framework.
X, The Moonshot Factory operates primarily in the Research industry.
X, The Moonshot Factory employs approximately 2,221 people worldwide.
X, The Moonshot Factory presently has no subsidiaries across any sectors.
X, The Moonshot Factory’s official LinkedIn profile has approximately 175,235 followers.
X, The Moonshot Factory is classified under the NAICS code None, which corresponds to Others.
No, X, The Moonshot Factory does not have a profile on Crunchbase.
Yes, X, The Moonshot Factory maintains an official LinkedIn profile, which is actively utilized for branding and talent engagement, which can be accessed here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/x.
As of November 27, 2025, Rankiteo reports that X, The Moonshot Factory has experienced 1 cybersecurity incidents.
X, The Moonshot Factory has an estimated 1,199 peer or competitor companies worldwide.
Incident Types: The types of cybersecurity incidents that have occurred include Breach.
Total Financial Loss: The total financial loss from these incidents is estimated to be $285 trillion.
Detection and Response: The company detects and responds to cybersecurity incidents through an remediation measures with public warnings (e.g., musk’s hacker alerts), remediation measures with user advisories for password changes/2fa, and communication strategy with limited transparency, communication strategy with public posts by musk and cybersecurity accounts..
Title: The Shadow Breach: X’s 2025 Data Catastrophe and the Erosion of Digital Trust
Description: In 2025, X (formerly Twitter) experienced a massive data exposure due to an accidental configuration error in its backend systems, leaking sensitive user information via public APIs. The breach, compounded by insider threats and legacy infrastructure vulnerabilities, affected potentially billions of users, exposing records including emails, bios, follower counts, user IDs, locations, and interaction histories. The incident led to financial losses, regulatory scrutiny, and a severe erosion of user trust.
Date Detected: 2025-03
Date Publicly Disclosed: 2025-03
Type: Data Breach
Attack Vector: Accidental Configuration ErrorPublic API ExposureInsider Data Exfiltration
Vulnerability Exploited: Legacy Infrastructure WeaknessesInadequate Data Anonymization in AI Features (e.g., Grok AI)Lack of Access Controls During Layoffs
Threat Actor: Opportunistic Data ScrapersDisgruntled Former Employee(s)
Motivation: Financial Gain (Black Market Data Sales)Retaliation (Insider Threat)
Common Attack Types: The most common types of attacks the company has faced is Breach.
Identification of Attack Vectors: The company identifies the attack vectors used in incidents through Public APIs and misconfigured backend tools.

Financial Loss: $285,000 per hour during outages (November 2025); potential billions in GDPR fines
Data Compromised: User ids, Locations, Interaction histories, Emails, Bios, Follower counts, Metadata
Systems Affected: Public APIsBackend Developer ToolsAI-Driven Features (e.g., Grok AI)
Downtime: Intermittent outages reported (e.g., March 2025 DDoS-like incident)
Operational Impact: Advertiser pullback, regulatory investigations, loss of user trust
Revenue Loss: Significant (exact figures undisclosed, but outages alone cost $285K/hour)
Customer Complaints: Widespread user backlash, migration to competitor platforms
Brand Reputation Impact: Severe erosion of trust, criticism over transparency and security practices
Legal Liabilities: Potential GDPR fines (billions)Class-action lawsuitsFTC consent decrees
Identity Theft Risk: High (exposed PII sold on black market)
Average Financial Loss: The average financial loss per incident is $285.00 trillion.
Commonly Compromised Data Types: The types of data most commonly compromised in incidents are Personally Identifiable Information (Pii), Metadata, User Interaction Histories, Emails, Bios, Follower Counts, Locations and .

Entity Name: X (formerly Twitter)
Entity Type: Social Media Platform
Industry: Technology/Social Media
Location: Global (HQ: San Francisco, USA)
Size: Billions of users
Customers Affected: Potentially billions (200 million records confirmed in April 2025; 2.8 billion records alleged in 400GB leak)

Remediation Measures: Public warnings (e.g., Musk’s hacker alerts)User advisories for password changes/2FA
Communication Strategy: Limited transparencyPublic posts by Musk and cybersecurity accounts

Type of Data Compromised: Personally identifiable information (pii), Metadata, User interaction histories, Emails, Bios, Follower counts, Locations
Number of Records Exposed: 200 million (confirmed); up to 2.8 billion (alleged)
Sensitivity of Data: High (includes PII, location data, and private interactions)
Data Exfiltration: Yes (harvested by scrapers and insider(s))
Data Encryption: No (data was exposed in plaintext via APIs)
File Types Exposed: API logsUser databasesMetadata
Personally Identifiable Information: Yes (emails, user IDs, locations, bios)
Prevention of Data Exfiltration: The company takes the following measures to prevent data exfiltration: Public warnings (e.g., Musk’s hacker alerts), User advisories for password changes/2FA, .

Regulations Violated: GDPR (potential), FTC Consent Decrees (under investigation),
Fines Imposed: Potential billions (GDPR)
Legal Actions: Class-action lawsuits, FTC investigations, EU GDPR probes,
Regulatory Notifications: EU GDPR watchdogs notifiedFTC ongoing investigations
Ensuring Regulatory Compliance: The company ensures compliance with regulatory requirements through Class-action lawsuits, FTC investigations, EU GDPR probes, .

Lessons Learned: Legacy infrastructure and new AI features must be integrated with robust security controls., Insider threats during layoffs require stricter access revocation protocols., Public APIs and developer tools need rigorous privacy safeguards., Transparency and timely disclosure are critical to maintaining user trust.

Recommendations: Implement zero-trust architecture and regular security audits., Enhance data anonymization for AI-driven features., Strengthen insider threat detection and employee offboarding processes., Adopt user-controlled data privacy options (e.g., granular consent settings)., Collaborate with regulators to align with GDPR and other privacy laws., Invest in encryption for data at rest and in transit.Implement zero-trust architecture and regular security audits., Enhance data anonymization for AI-driven features., Strengthen insider threat detection and employee offboarding processes., Adopt user-controlled data privacy options (e.g., granular consent settings)., Collaborate with regulators to align with GDPR and other privacy laws., Invest in encryption for data at rest and in transit.Implement zero-trust architecture and regular security audits., Enhance data anonymization for AI-driven features., Strengthen insider threat detection and employee offboarding processes., Adopt user-controlled data privacy options (e.g., granular consent settings)., Collaborate with regulators to align with GDPR and other privacy laws., Invest in encryption for data at rest and in transit.Implement zero-trust architecture and regular security audits., Enhance data anonymization for AI-driven features., Strengthen insider threat detection and employee offboarding processes., Adopt user-controlled data privacy options (e.g., granular consent settings)., Collaborate with regulators to align with GDPR and other privacy laws., Invest in encryption for data at rest and in transit.Implement zero-trust architecture and regular security audits., Enhance data anonymization for AI-driven features., Strengthen insider threat detection and employee offboarding processes., Adopt user-controlled data privacy options (e.g., granular consent settings)., Collaborate with regulators to align with GDPR and other privacy laws., Invest in encryption for data at rest and in transit.Implement zero-trust architecture and regular security audits., Enhance data anonymization for AI-driven features., Strengthen insider threat detection and employee offboarding processes., Adopt user-controlled data privacy options (e.g., granular consent settings)., Collaborate with regulators to align with GDPR and other privacy laws., Invest in encryption for data at rest and in transit.
Key Lessons Learned: The key lessons learned from past incidents are Legacy infrastructure and new AI features must be integrated with robust security controls.,Insider threats during layoffs require stricter access revocation protocols.,Public APIs and developer tools need rigorous privacy safeguards.,Transparency and timely disclosure are critical to maintaining user trust.

Source: Platformer (2023 Internal Documents)
Date Accessed: 2023
Additional Resources: Stakeholders can find additional resources on cybersecurity best practices at and Source: Weaponized Spaces (Substack)Date Accessed: 2025-03, and Source: BankInfoSecurityDate Accessed: 2025-03, and Source: GRC ReportDate Accessed: 2025-04, and Source: Proton Pass (X Thread)Date Accessed: 2025-03, and Source: CyberPressDate Accessed: 2025-03, and Source: RescanaUrl: https://rescana.comDate Accessed: 2025-04, and Source: Platformer (2023 Internal Documents)Date Accessed: 2023, and Source: ReutersDate Accessed: 2025-11, and Source: Finance MonthlyDate Accessed: 2025-11, and Source: AU10TIX Exposure (X Daily News)Date Accessed: 2024, and Source: Bright Defense (2025 Breach Lists)Date Accessed: 2025, and Source: Information Security BuzzDate Accessed: 2025-04, and Source: Tech.coDate Accessed: 2025.

Investigation Status: Ongoing (EU GDPR and FTC investigations, internal reviews)
Communication of Investigation Status: The company communicates the status of incident investigations to stakeholders through Limited Transparency and Public Posts By Musk And Cybersecurity Accounts.

Stakeholder Advisories: Users Advised To Monitor For Identity Theft, Change Passwords, Enable 2Fa.
Customer Advisories: Proton Pass recommendations for password managers/VPNsX’s limited public warnings
Advisories Provided: The company provides the following advisories to stakeholders and customers following an incident: were Users Advised To Monitor For Identity Theft, Change Passwords, Enable 2Fa, Proton Pass Recommendations For Password Managers/Vpns, X’S Limited Public Warnings and .

Entry Point: Public APIs and misconfigured backend tools
Reconnaissance Period: Weeks (exposure went unnoticed initially)
High Value Targets: User Pii, Interaction Metadata, Ai Training Datasets,
Data Sold on Dark Web: User Pii, Interaction Metadata, Ai Training Datasets,

Root Causes: Accidental Api Misconfiguration During Feature Updates, Legacy Twitter Infrastructure Clashes With New Xai Integrations, Inadequate Data Anonymization In Ai Features (E.G., Grok Ai), Insider Threat During Mass Layoffs (Disgruntled Employee Retaliation), Lack Of Real-Time Monitoring For Anomalous Data Flows,
Corrective Actions: Systemic Overhaul Of Api Access Controls, Mandatory Encryption For Sensitive Data, Enhanced Insider Threat Detection Programs, Regular Third-Party Security Audits, Transparency Reports To Rebuild User Trust,
Corrective Actions Taken: The company has taken the following corrective actions based on post-incident analysis: Systemic Overhaul Of Api Access Controls, Mandatory Encryption For Sensitive Data, Enhanced Insider Threat Detection Programs, Regular Third-Party Security Audits, Transparency Reports To Rebuild User Trust, .
Last Attacking Group: The attacking group in the last incident was an Opportunistic Data ScrapersDisgruntled Former Employee(s).
Most Recent Incident Detected: The most recent incident detected was on 2025-03.
Most Recent Incident Publicly Disclosed: The most recent incident publicly disclosed was on 2025-03.
Highest Financial Loss: The highest financial loss from an incident was $285,000 per hour during outages (November 2025); potential billions in GDPR fines.
Most Significant Data Compromised: The most significant data compromised in an incident were User IDs, Locations, Interaction Histories, Emails, Bios, Follower Counts, Metadata and .
Most Significant System Affected: The most significant system affected in an incident were Public APIsBackend Developer ToolsAI-Driven Features (e.g., Grok AI).
Most Sensitive Data Compromised: The most sensitive data compromised in a breach were Interaction Histories, Bios, User IDs, Locations, Metadata, Follower Counts and Emails.
Number of Records Exposed in Most Significant Breach: The number of records exposed in the most significant breach was 3.0B.
Highest Fine Imposed: The highest fine imposed for a regulatory violation was Potential billions (GDPR).
Most Significant Legal Action: The most significant legal action taken for a regulatory violation was Class-action lawsuits, FTC investigations, EU GDPR probes, .
Most Significant Lesson Learned: The most significant lesson learned from past incidents was Transparency and timely disclosure are critical to maintaining user trust.
Most Significant Recommendation Implemented: The most significant recommendation implemented to improve cybersecurity was Enhance data anonymization for AI-driven features., Implement zero-trust architecture and regular security audits., Invest in encryption for data at rest and in transit., Strengthen insider threat detection and employee offboarding processes., Adopt user-controlled data privacy options (e.g., granular consent settings). and Collaborate with regulators to align with GDPR and other privacy laws..
Most Recent Source: The most recent source of information about an incident are GRC Report, Platformer (2023 Internal Documents), CyberPress, Information Security Buzz, Tech.co, Weaponized Spaces (Substack), Reuters, Finance Monthly, AU10TIX Exposure (X Daily News), Rescana, BankInfoSecurity, Bright Defense (2025 Breach Lists) and Proton Pass (X Thread).
Most Recent URL for Additional Resources: The most recent URL for additional resources on cybersecurity best practices is https://rescana.com .
Current Status of Most Recent Investigation: The current status of the most recent investigation is Ongoing (EU GDPR and FTC investigations, internal reviews).
Most Recent Stakeholder Advisory: The most recent stakeholder advisory issued was Users advised to monitor for identity theft, change passwords, enable 2FA, .
Most Recent Customer Advisory: The most recent customer advisory issued was an Proton Pass recommendations for password managers/VPNsX’s limited public warnings.
Most Recent Entry Point: The most recent entry point used by an initial access broker was an Public APIs and misconfigured backend tools.
Most Recent Reconnaissance Period: The most recent reconnaissance period for an incident was Weeks (exposure went unnoticed initially).
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