Last month, hackers exploited Twitter to launch a bizarre cyberattack targeting people with epilepsy. Specifically, the hackers sent videos of flashing lights.
The main target was the Epilepsy Foundation.
The hackers used the foundation's hashtags and posted videos and GIFs showing flashing lights. This incident took place during November, which is Epilepsy Awareness This means that the foundation's account would have received thousands of visits from people with epilepsy that month.
The Foundation identified at least 30 different accounts involved in this attack. However, it was unable to know how many people were affected by it.
The Foundation stated that it has filed complaints and is cooperating with the authorities to find and arrest the perpetrators of the attack.
The impact is serious
People with photosensitive epilepsy are sensitive to bright flashing lights and certain visual patterns. These can even trigger a seizure, according to the Epilepsy Foundation.
“Although the population of people with photosensitive epilepsy is small, the impact can be quite severe. Many people don’t even know they have photosensitivity until they have a seizure,” said Jacqueline French, a physician at the Foundation.
Experts consider this attack very dangerous because the hackers used Twitter, which is an extremely popular platform and can have many epileptic users.
It's as if someone has taken a light and shone it in front of epileptic people with the intention of causing seizures and, by extension, significant harm.
The fact that the attack occurred during Epilepsy Awareness Month indicates that the hackers' goal was to target as many patients as possible.
Twitter said it has some tools in place to prevent these attacks, while also looking into other new protection measures.
"We want people to feel safe on service ," a Twitter spokesperson said.
Similar attack in 2016
In 2016, a Maryland man was charged with a similar attack, via Twitter, on a journalist with epilepsy.
The man sent the tweet to journalist Kurt Eichenwald, writing: “You deserve a crisis for your post.” Eichenwald said the flashing lights message immediately triggered a crisis in him.
The journalist said that after that he received many similar messages.
Following the Epilepsy Foundation's announcement on Monday, Eichenwald tweeted , "When will these idiots realize that we won't let them kill or harm us again?"
