Hackers last week attacked Discord online groups used by students, instructors and alumni at UC Irvine, posting gory videos of human and animal mutilation that reportedly sent some viewers to the hospital and caused a lot of “vomiting and tears.”
About 3,000 users were exposed to the disturbing images in the cyber attack before hackers were blocked by student managers of the Discord groups at the university.
“Some things I’ve seen I definitely cannot unsee,” said Alina Kim, a coordinator for UC Irvine’s student-run online community who helped manage the response. “Some individuals were reportedly hospitalized with vomiting, panic attacks, traumatic responses. This is something that has real psychological effects.”
Kim said the hackers have been identified, but their identity is being withheld because they appear to seek publicity. She said the attackers demanded $1,000 in ransom to keep them from posting the videos for another month, but the amount is so low she considered it a joke.
Kim said she is contacting federal authorities because of the nature of the violent videos and the ransom demand. Campus police also are investigating.
Discord is an online instant messaging social platform using voice calls, video calls and text messaging, among other things. Communication can be private or in groups. Besides being used for social purposes, students and faculty often depend on the groups to communicate about course work. UC Irvine, does not manage the Discord groups or the people who use them, said spokesman Tom Vasich.
“However, we take seriously our commitment to protecting members of our community,” Vasich said via email. “The university offers information security training and resources, and encourages members of the community to engage in cyber hygiene best practices, including the use of strong passwords and awareness of phishing attacks meant to harvest confidential credentials.”
The university also offers mental health counseling…
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