Hackers' posts on epilepsy forum cause migraines, seizures

[Sheets of Easter]

This sickens me beyond belief. :mad:

(snip)
By JORDAN ROBERTSON

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Computer attacks typically don't inflict physical pain on their victims.

But in a rare example of an attack apparently motivated by malice rather than money, hackers recently bombarded the Epilepsy Foundation's Web site with hundreds of pictures and links to pages with rapidly flashing images.

The breach triggered severe migraines and near-seizure reactions in some site visitors who viewed the images. People with photosensitive epilepsy can get seizures when they're exposed to flickering images, a response also caused by some video games and cartoons.

The attack happened when hackers exploited a security hole in the foundation's publishing software that allowed them to quickly make numerous posts and overwhelm the site's support forums.

Within the hackers' posts were small flashing pictures and links - masquerading as helpful - to pages that exploded with kaleidoscopic images pulsating with different colors.

"They were out to create seizures," said Ken Lowenberg, senior director of Web and print publishing for the foundation.


More here:

http://apnews.myway.com//article/20080507/D90H3O080.html

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Is that a punishable crime?

Cause it should be.

[Indenturedebtor]

6. I bet it is

There are any number of things you could charge these dipshits with.

I hope they find em and hit em in the head so hard they have a seizure or two. Assholes.

[atommom]

2. Incredibly malicious. nt

[zanne]

3. Moronic activity...

I hope there are consequences for whoever did this. It's like throwing rocks at somebody in a wheelchair.

[Libby2]

4. Fucking, ignorant assholes.

What the hell makes assholes like that tick?

[Sheets of Easter]

5. The anonymity of the internet.

It's created a whole population of trolls who feel that they can get away with such cruelty because they will more than likely never have to face the ones they attack.