The Heritage Foundation offered its support to the American College of Pediatricians as it faces coordinated cyberattacks for its position on children’s healthcare.
The American College of Pediatricians has been facing "an ongoing, coordinated, malicious cyberattack by hackers" since April 24, according to a May 5 news release. The attack is focused on key technology structures, databases and financial accounts.
"This attack was intended to intimidate and incapacitate, and it will be costly to recover, but we will not be intimidated by these illegal bullying tactics that amount to a hate crime," ACPeds Executive Director Jill Simons, a board-certified pediatrician, said in the release. "We will continue to promote the health and well-being of children by protecting the rights of born and preborn children, promoting biological integrity and defending conscience rights for healthcare professionals."
Roger Severino, Heritage vice president of domestic policy, said ACPeds is under attack for political reasons, according to a May 5 news release.
“The American College of Pediatricians is under attack for one reason — because its members publicly speak the truth and protect innocent children from the Left’s dangerous pathologies,” Severino said in the release. “Because the radical Left can’t win in court or the ballot box, they resort to crime, intimidation and doxxing. This assault on ACPeds is just further confirmation.”
Simmons told The Daily Signal ACPeds’ opponents won’t debate them because they can’t win based on the facts and science. She said they can’t beat them on common sense, either.
ACPeds staff have worked around the clock since the cyberattack to tighten security, The Daily Signal reported. They have regained access to an archived website and restricted access to Google Drive documents. New attempts to access the organization’s email distribution platform began May 4.
“ACPeds is not backing down and The Heritage Foundation has its back," Severino added, according to the release. "We support these pediatricians’ efforts to provide children with health care that is based in science, not ideology.”
