MASTODON'S FLAGSHIP SERVER HIT BY DDOS ATTACK

The attack flooded Mastodon's flagship instance with malicious traffic, disrupting service for users on the decentralized social network. Mastodon's team did not disclose specific details about the attack's duration or impact scope. The timing is notable: Bluesky, the Twitter alternative backed by Jack Dorsey, experienced a similar DDoS attack less than a week prior. Both platforms operate outside traditional corporate social media structures, though Bluesky is centralized while Mastodon runs on federated servers. DDoS attacks overwhelm servers by flooding them with traffic from multiple sources, making them unavailable to legitimate users. The attacks highlight ongoing security challenges for emerging social platforms as they gain users and visibility. Neither Mastodon nor Bluesky has attributed the attacks to specific actors or motives. Both platforms have since restored normal operations.