p2pnet - rss feed: FBI probes epilepsy site hack
p2pnet news | Security:- When hackers broke into the Epilepsy Foundation site and planted flashing images, they did it with the deliberate aim of causing actual harm, said president and CEO Eric R. Hargis.
How so?
“The breach triggered severe migraines and near-seizure reactions in some site visitors who viewed the images,” explained the Associated Press. “People with photosensitive epilepsy can get seizures when they’re exposed to flickering images, a response also caused by some video games and cartoons.”
Hargis described the hack as a, “rare example of an attack apparently motivated by malice rather than money”.
Now, apparently the FBI is investigating the attack, says Wired, going on a successful investigation could lead to the first federal prosecution under an anti-cyber terrorism provision in the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act.
“The law created a new crime of attacking a computer to cause ‘physical injury to any person’,” says the story, adding >>>
To get there, prosecutors would have to show that the attackers intentionally damaged the Epilepsy Foundation’s forum. Since the attack flooded the forums with hundreds of embedded pictures, links to pictures, and browser-hijacking redirect code, that might not be too high a hurdle.
The attackers also would have to be guilty of gaining unauthorized access to the computer, or, perhaps more apt in this case, caused the “transmission of a program, information, code, or command” that damaged the forum and injured the victims.
Stay tuned.
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Epilepsy Foundation - Epilepsy Foundation Takes Action Against Hackers, March 31, 2008
flashing images - Hackers target epileptics online, May 8, 2008
Associated Press - Hackers’ posts on epilepsy forum cause migraines, seizures, May 7, 2008
Wired - FBI Investigates Epilepsy Forum Attackers, May 8, 2008
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May 13th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
lol…
I mean really. A forum hack? They’re gonna put people in jail for a forum hack?
May 13th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
I have mixed views about this.
I appreciate the juvenile humor of this. I really do. I even laughed out loud. No doubt a young teenage prank. But some epileptics have grand mall seizures that can be dangerous to them, and cause injury. Especially if they are alone.
I do think this qualifies as a personal attack, and prob qualifies as litigated as an assault charge. I think there is also grounds for monetary restitution for victims that required medical attention.
What I do not want to see, is some new specific law invented to cover this when it can be prosecuted using existing laws. This is exactly the type of thing that gets the Federal government all “law happy” and creates loopholes for stealing just a little bit more freedom from us.
May 13th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Sounds like something anon would do tbh.
May 13th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Actions have consequences. Most forum hacks are juvenile, inconvenient, but ultimately harmless. This person tried to initiate seizures in epillectics. It’s seious and not much different than pushing a guy in a wheelchair down some stairs. Jail time might be appropriate.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:31 pm
It’s the kind of thing juveniles do for perverse kicks, attention, and to cause gross offense. They should be locked up with hardened criminals for about 6 mths at least. (file sharers?) Teach them a few life lessons
May 19th, 2008 at 9:31 am
I lol’d. Reader’s Write is right, it definitely smells of Anon.
May 19th, 2008 at 10:00 am
do you really think that they’re not going to come out even more pissed off after a few months in prison?