Tech & Biz

Hackers Try To Cause Seizures On Epilespy Site

by thescribetony | May 8, 2008 at 06:38 am

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Hackers (old Indian for 'losers who still live in their mother's basement'), created animations that sent epileptic users to a page that '

exploded with kaleidoscopic images pulsating with different colors.

According to Ken Lowenberg, Senior Director of Web and Print Publishing at the Epilepsy Foundation, as quoted at the MSNBC story, "They were out to create seizures."

The story goes on to report:

The breach triggered severe migraines and near-seizure reactions in some site visitors who viewed the images.

"I count this in the same category of teenagers who think it's funny to put a cat in a bag and throw it over a clothesline — they don't realize how cruel it is," said Paul Ferguson, a security researcher at antivirus software maker Trend Micro Inc. "It was an opportunity waiting to happen for some mean-spirited kid."

Earlier this year, hackers disabled 'read aloud' software on computers of bilnd and visually impared users.