Hackers Assault Epilepsy Patients Via Computer
Kevin Poulsen writes on Wired News:
Internet griefers descended on an epilepsy support message board last weekend and used JavaScript code and flashing computer animation to trigger migraine headaches and seizures in some users.More here.
The nonprofit Epilepsy Foundation, which runs the forum, briefly closed the site Sunday to purge the offending messages and to boost security.
"We are seeing people affected," says Ken Lowenberg, senior director of web and print publishing at the Epilepsy Foundation. "It's fortunately only a handful. It's possible that people are just not reporting yet -- people affected by it may not be coming back to the forum so fast."
The incident, possibly the first computer attack to inflict physical harm on the victims, began Saturday, March 22, when attackers used a script to post hundreds of messages embedded with flashing animated gifs.
posted by Fergie @ 3/28/2008 06:16:00 PM
1 Comments:
You know.. in some instances, I can understand hacking. In some instances, it can even be considered semi-ok, when it's being done for a benevolent reason. But this is just plain wrong. Specifically targeting a site like this is wrong on so many levels. I hope the authorities are able to identify the hackers and put them behind bars, where they belong. And I hope no one was seriously injured in this attack.
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