Wired.com reports that "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."
There were two attacks. First one happened on Saturday, March 22, "when attackers used a script to post hundreds of messages embedded with flashing animated gifs." Second attack, on the following Sunday, was more sophisticated - "injecting JavaScript into some posts that redirected users' browsers to a page with a more complex image designed to trigger seizures in both photosensitive and pattern-sensitive epileptics."
Wired also speculates that "Circumstantial evidence suggests the attack was the work of members of Anonymous, an informal collective of griefers best known for their recent war on the Church of Scientology. The first flurry of posts on the epilepsy forum referenced the site EBaumsWorld, which is much hated by Anonymous. And forum members claim they found a message board thread -- since deleted -- planning the attack at 7chan.org, a group stronghold."
Or could it be that one of the group's numerous enemies like cough-Scientologists-cough could be running a stealth campaign to give a bad name to Anonymous?
There's still another speculation that the attack was conducted by an automated viral advertisement system.
Twitter is ablaze with outrage but not much factual material is coming in so far.
One way or the other, this incident is possibly the first computer attack to inflict actual physical harm on the victims.
Saturday
Epilepsy Forums Hacked, Users Are In Pain
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2 comments:
Gah. I don't know who the culprits were, but I don't understand people who think it was the work of anti-Scientology protesters like me. Scientology is against its members taking medication to stop them from getting seizures, for example, Tory "Magoo" Christman - http://www.entheta.net/archive/personal_story/tory/affidavit.html
Jocelyn Dorfmann died from an epileptic seizure in Scientology care in France - http://www.whyaretheydead.net/others/Jocelyne_Dorfmann_34.html
Heribert Pfaff died from an epileptic seizure in a Scientology hotel in Clearwater - http://www.whyaretheydead.net/room758.html
James Stewart committed suicide after CoS put in him in a Condition of Doubt for having epileptic seizures in public - http://www.holysmoke.org/cos/kult-epelep.htm
Not too likely it was Anonymous that did that; hardly rings true that that particular group would try and hurt a bunch of defenseless sick people.
All the same, whoever did it, that was pretty darn cruel.
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