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Crackers attack epileptics via website
Author: Gareth HalfacreePublished: 9th May 2008
The Epilepsy Foundation's website has been bolstered to prevent a recurrence of the incident.
According to an article published by CNet yesterday, crackers exploited a security flaw in the content management system used by the Epilepsy Foundation to create a torrent of spam posts in the support forum on the site. Rather than the usual raft of 'make penis fast' adverts, however, the mass postings had a more sinister payload: animated GIFs displaying rapidly flashing colours.
Epilepsy is a neurological condition which causes its suffers to lapse into seizures which can result in serious injury if you're standing near any hard objects at the time or even in asphyxiation if the tongue is swallowed. The condition affects around fifty million people worldwide.
Epileptic seizures in photosensitive individuals can be triggered by flashing imagery – which is why films and TV shows that use strobe effects are often preceeded by a warning message. By posting animated GIFs featuring pulsating effects to a website directly aimed at epilepsy suffers, the crackers involved were attempting to directly harm the health of complete strangers – the same as walking along the street punching everyone you see in the face.
Thankfully, there have been no reports of major injuries caused by the attack – although several people have contacted the Epilepsy Foundation complaining of severe migraines brought on by viewing the images. The Foundation has also taken steps to ensure that posts to the forums can no longer contain animated images or links to external website, to prevent a similar attack in future.
Eric R. Hargis, president of the Foundation, described the actions of the crackers as "an act of vandalism with the intent to harm people," and reassured visitors that the Foundation has "established deterrents in the system to prevent similar incidences."
Now, I've always known that crackers are a lower sub-species, but it's not until learning of this completely unprovoked attack that I realised just how low they can stoop. I sincerely hope that the perpetrators are suitably impressed with themselves, and I hope that the FBI – currently investigating the matter at the request of the Epilepsy Foundation – pays them a visit soon. Preferably before they move on to torturing cats or drowning grannies.
Have any of the systems you use daily come under attack by crackers in the past, or do you keep up-to-date on security best practices? Share your thoughts over in the forums.
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By the way isn't this story several months old? I remember hearing about it around February-ish. Mayhaps someone has just done it again. Either way, terrible terrible stuff.
i just hope that not too many people where affected by it and that it was cleaned up pretty easily
you've got to admit it show originality
That's really NOT funny or clever. Apart from the fact that the seizures can be really serious, now the actions of one or two small-minded idiots might have some people believe that the internet is no longer safe for epileptics. Now, someone tell them how to download firefox and prevent gif animations. Then find these guys and do them for GBH or something...
I also heard of it a while ago. Anonymous vs. Scientology thing if I remember right. Was a big talk on /b/ and some sad it was them but thats probably just dickwiggeling (sorry for my choice of words)
me 2
I genuinely assume that everyone is inherently humane and considerate, and those that appear not to be are either influenced or damaged in some way due to their environment, or genetically impaired, or most likely, a combination of all.
My point being that we ought to balance our view on this with healthy doses of pity and firm resolve.
Pity these desperately pathetic individuals who have been degraded so low that they fail to recognise the impact of their actions, and now constitute perfect examples of depravity.
I say "fail" whilst being fully aware of the likely response that such people would actually give to try to rationalise their behaviour, but since they are clearly twisted, their view is irrelevant; therefore, "fail to recognise".
I think it's important not to judge them as the average human as they're cleary damaged in some way.
For example, ever heard a "cracker" argue the virtues and merits of piracy and malicious attacks on perfectly legitimate organisations??
Filter out all the self-serving bullshit and all you hear is random nonsense.
It's good old-fashioned malice, selfishness, greed and hate; plain and simple.
Round em up and administer a damn good thrashing!
That's what I say... Ra ra ra ra ra
Yeh but come on, its a website! And that's taking advantage of someones unfortunate disability.
Yeah the assassination of Princess Diana was just awful
Seriously though, this is pretty awful, yeah I've heard of worse, but it doesn't make this any better either.
Sick. But funny.
http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/badgerphone
Can i pity them as I drop them headfirst from the roof of a very large building (repeatedly)
Yep people having seizures, very ****ing funny.
Given people were calling for any thing from castration to dropping on their heads from tall buildings to simple killings for the crackers i was just pointing out to people that they should have some perspective, this is a nasty act but in the grand scheme of things its nothing. The offenders should be prosecuted under the relevant laws as should any one who has broken the law.
But I lold.
but hey, i would consider tossing these guys into a deep pit without food or water and seeing who would resort to cannibalism first as good entertainment value, so who am i to judge.
To you, maybe. Me? I'm not feeling particularly empathic tonight, so I can see the funny side without being inhuman enough to recognise that were I a person with epillepsy I would be deeply saddened and angered by this.
Hey, it was a slow night....
I love the irony :D
of course I could try to defend myself by saying that I don't support this and bla bla bla... but right now , it's just funny in my opinion ;)
Years ago when I was younger, I witnessed a close friend of mine have a seizure. She had been having them periodically, but this was the only one I had witnessed first hand. One minute she was fine, the next, completely out of control. To not be in control of your own body, its muscles, your movements, that is a scary prospect. You see that happen to someone you care about and you would never think something like this stunt is remotely funny.
But it's seem as though there's a bunch low life's out there who think its funny, you sad pathetic W*****S!
I'm a member of a couple of epilepsy forums and both have received cracker/hacker attacks recently one of which was blaming Ebaumsworld, which then naturally denyed all knowledge, so it would seem that there's a group out there with a real chip on their shoulder and their not even brave enough to own up to what their doing anonamously.
I'd like to throw a brick at the head's of these cretins to let them know how it feels when your head hit's the ground!
Ooh! I'm so damn angry! not for me but for everyone I know that has it much worse than me.
They could have them turned off but it wouldnt make any difference.
Photosensitivity works on the speed of the flashing and that speed is different for everyone, some people cant watch T.V. others it's car indicators that do it.
They fire a strobe light in your face at varying speeds to find the trigger speed without setting you off, It's not very nice.
Oh whatever man
Don't tell me you've never laugh at a joke that makes fun of some disabilities or illness. Humor is not always kind to everyone and I, like a lot of people, happen to like crude and ironic humor. Does it mean that I actually laugh at people having strokes and so on ? Hell no
Of course what these hackers did is reprehensible (there I go, trying to save my ass) and unacceptable, but it doesn't change anything to the fact that from the outside, the irony of of the 'message' is funny...or at least it is to me
second, i suggest you learn the difference between "real life" and "fiction"
i have another funny story for you, ghys. look! some guy wanted to hurt some other people. and they got hurt. how FUNNY. how IRONIC. you know what? i bet they didn't even see it coming. they must have been so surprised. that makes it even funnier. let's all laugh at them together, now.
if someone is offended from this then DON'T search "offended" in encyclopediadramatica... i have seen it and it is far sicker than this news article will ever be..... damn internet hate machine!
edit: even if you were not offended don't search it, it is to much for human eyes.
Oh whatever man
Don't tell me you've never laugh at a joke that makes fun of some disabilities or illness. Humor is not always kind to everyone and I, like a lot of people, happen to like crude and ironic humor. Does it mean that I actually laugh at people having strokes and so on ? Hell no
Of course what these hackers did is reprehensible (there I go, trying to save my ass) and unacceptable, but it doesn't change anything to the fact that from the outside, the irony of of the 'message' is funny...or at least it is to me[/QUOTE]
1) learn the meaning of Ironic you muppet!, if it had caused the crackers to have a ceizure that would have been ironic.
2) yes everyone laugh's at those less fortunate than themselvs occasationly, but there is a HUGE difference between a natural accident and intentional harm, would it be funny if I walked down the street and smashed a brick over your head just because I could? no didnt think so, setting out to hurt people is never funny.
i.e. the search for a cure causes the symptoms, that is ironic.
Now the fact this is a real life situation takes away from the funny, however if this were a sketch on a comedy show it would be a blast, therefore I had a guilty giggle to myself.
Thank you. This is the way I see it
Yeah, I got about that far too before closing it. And I thought I was desensitised :(
It is pretty funny that someone made it though. Christ..they got issues.
i have held off posting about this topic , but like all things something must be said ...
your from Canada .... that just says it all i suppose , i used to suffer from epilepsy my self . yes is lots of fun waking up covered in blood were you have bit your tongue or lip , then wondering were the hell you are for 2 sometimes longer hours . you see until you have a fit , you just cant understand what it like ... you really cant
i have been lucky that i have out grown epilepsy , but i will never never forget what its like . and to have people think its funny that a website hacked and the potential damage that could be caused to people all in the name of a sick joke .... well your just as bad as the people who carried out the sick act .
perhaps one day you will develop the condition , and then ... only then will you fully understand ...
?
Don't take this the wrong way mate, but you've never laughed at something you really shouldn't have? You've never laughed at someone else's misfortune? Honestly?
hohoho i wonder how many people were forced to experience pain and suffering? hoho wouldn`t it be great if they died???
I mean what the fuk?
Thats how stupid it is.
Well that's nice for the other Canadians on the board
Yoda is the only one that understood what I meant by the irony in the joke. Now if you can't understand that and you still believe I think it's fun to know that some people bit their tongue, crack their teeth and suffer even worse things because of epilepsy, then you're a lost cause.
A friend of mine has suffered epilepsy when he was younger and he had to miss a whole year of school because of it. He never talked about it because he wasn't comfortable about it. I respect this and I respect him. However, that doesn't mean I can't laugh at something I find ironic
I am done arguing with you all. You can think I am an asshole for laughing at something you find awful (which it is), I don't care