Re: Hackers Assault Epilepsy Patients Via Computer

["Larry Seltzer" <Larry () larryseltzer com>]

Ugly. That one's worth investigating and prosecuting.

Larry Seltzer
eWEEK.com Security Center Editor
http://security.eweek.com/
http://blogs.pcmag.com/securitywatch/
Contributing Editor, PC Magazine
larry.seltzer () ziffdavisenterprise com


-----Original Message-----
From: funsec-bounces () linuxbox org [mailto:funsec-bounces () linuxbox org]
On Behalf Of Paul Ferguson
Sent: Friday, March 28, 2008 9:20 PM
To: funsec () linuxbox org
Subject: [funsec] Hackers Assault Epilepsy Patients Via Computer

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Wow.

Via Wired News.

[snip]

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.

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.

[snip]

More:
http://www.wired.com/politics/security/news/2008/03/epilepsy

- - ferg

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--
"Fergie", a.k.a. Paul Ferguson
 Engineering Architecture for the Internet  fergdawg(at)netzero.net
ferg's tech blog: http://fergdawg.blogspot.com/


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