Hackers Fake Death of Apple Chief

On Thursday, January 23, one of the biggestreputable websites, confusing the public even more.
technology based magazines incorrectly reported thatMac Rumors, a website dedicated to Apple news, has
Apple CEO Steve Jobs from complications resultingbeen the victim of several hacking attempts over the
from heart failure. Wired Magazine's websitepast few months, several times posting that Jobs had
(wired.com) was allegedly hacked into by prankstersdied as a result of his recent health problems.
who published false article on the website andThe impact of these false reports and hacking
proceeded to share the link to the site on socialattempts has been costly for Apple. They must
networking websites.continually monitor online news media, and ensure that
Although it appears as a simple hoax, the false articlefalse reports are identified and removed promptly.
has caused quite a stir in the technology world. EvenSeveral times over the past year, false reports
though it was only posted on the site for about tworegarding Jobs' health have led to significant decline in
hours before being discovered as false, links to thethe price of Apple's stock shares. On a few
article spread quickly and the false report was seenoccasions, a feeling of panic and anxiety has swept
by thousands of online viewers.over Apple shareholders, leading them to sell large
The hoax is only the most recent in a long string ofportions of stock and drive the price per share down
deceptive articles posted online claiming that the Appleeven further.
CEO has died. As Jobs' health has apparently beenThus, these hacking attempts spreading false rumors
declining over the last few years, rumors have beenabout Steve Jobs have been a tremendous nuisance
spreading rapidly about the true health of theto Apple executives and shareholders alike. Although
technology guru.they false reports aren't indicative of the real health
During this year's MacWorld expo, many rumorssituation of Apple's leaders, they have led many people
surfaced online indicating that Jobs had died.to be concerned over the health and longevity of Jobs,
Questioning the health of Apple's chief, these rumorsand the future ramifications these reports could have
quickly turned into false reports that showed up onare yet to be seen.