Author Topic: "Hackers" FTW! (Read 6090 times)

FreeK · « **on:** January 28, 2009, 12:19:06 PM »

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,484326,00.html

Quote

Transportation officials in Texas are scrambling to prevent hackers from changing messages on digital road signs after one sign in Austin was altered to read, "Zombies Ahead."

Chris Lippincott, director of media relations for the Texas Department of Transportation, confirmed that a portable traffic sign at Lamar Boulevard and West 15th Street, near the University of Texas at Austin, was hacked into during the early hours of Jan. 19.

"It was clever, kind of cute, but not what it was intended for," said Lippincott, who saw the sign during his morning commute. "Those signs are deployed for a reason — to improve traffic conditions, let folks know there's a road closure."

Lippincott said the hacked sign — manufactured by IMAGO — is and operated by the city of Austin. Texas Department of Transportation signs have not been affected, he said.

"It is always possible that it could occur, but we attempt to prevent hacking incidents," Lippincott wrote in an e-mail. He declined to comment on security measures to protect the state's signs from hackers.

Austin Public Works spokeswoman Sara Hartley said the incident was not initially reported to police, but will be shortly. The sign was reverted back to its original message within hours, according to Hartley, who insisted the signs are tamper-resistant and equipped with external locks.

"This sign was broken into, it was not just a 'walk up and change the sign' kind of thing," Hartley told FOXNews.com. "This is a new one for us, we've never had it happen before."

She said she did not know whether any other signs in the area had been altered.

According to the blog i-hacked.com, some commercial road signs, including those manufactured by IMAGO's ADDCO division, can be easily altered because their instrument panels are frequently left unlocked and their default passwords are not changed.

"Programming is as simple as scrolling down the menu selection," i-hacked.com reports. "Type whatever you want to display … In all likelihood, the crew will not have changed [the password]."

I-hacked.com warns readers not to try to alter the signs, which cost roughly $15,000.

ADDCO Chief Operating Officer Brian Nicholson told FOXNews.com that the company is sending out notices to customers on the potentially dangerous security flaw.

"It's incumbent upon users to change the default password and secure the sign with a padlock," Nicholson said. "We're having our engineers review this information."

In the meantime, if you're driving in Austin, you can rest assured: There are no zombies ahead.

Now that is epic.

budgray19 · « **Reply #1 on:** January 28, 2009, 12:19:55 PM »

thank you freak thank you
this is total epicness

IndyChav · « **Reply #2 on:** January 28, 2009, 12:26:36 PM »

Sweeeeettt !!!

robin1989 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 28, 2009, 12:27:58 PM »

yeh thats proper funny lol

http://www.i-hacked.com/content/view/274/48/

PhenomenalDesigns · « **Reply #4 on:** January 28, 2009, 12:29:19 PM »

OMG thats better than what I did at school

They are my hacking idol! Lol

PspKicks316 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 28, 2009, 12:30:57 PM »

Oh I thought this was good.
I read about this a while ago.

RoBot1ks · « **Reply #6 on:** January 28, 2009, 05:28:41 PM »

lol
I will not try that

treemty · « **Reply #7 on:** January 28, 2009, 05:44:06 PM »

that was awesome/epic

Slim Hacker · « **Reply #8 on:** January 28, 2009, 05:44:56 PM »

mega hacked

uber funny
not hard to do

RoBot1ks · « **Reply #9 on:** January 28, 2009, 05:46:24 PM »

I would have made it say "Out of Gas"
Just to see how many ppl would look
lol
(kinda lame, but would be funny atm)

treemty · « **Reply #10 on:** January 28, 2009, 05:47:29 PM »

I would make it say a fake speed, like they are going like 250MPH or something

RoBot1ks · « **Reply #11 on:** January 28, 2009, 05:50:42 PM »

lol
That's even better. I was also thinking either "Too slow" or "Too fast"

Slim Hacker · « **Reply #12 on:** January 28, 2009, 05:54:01 PM »

your speed: 1mph
GO FASTER

that on ome of those

RoBot1ks · « **Reply #13 on:** January 28, 2009, 05:56:13 PM »

lol that works
Hmm..
"You will crash"

Slim Hacker · « **Reply #14 on:** January 28, 2009, 06:01:21 PM »

warning cop behind you

that lol

RoBot1ks · « **Reply #15 on:** January 28, 2009, 06:03:02 PM »

If you just made it say "Cop Ahead", so many people will slow down

Except for that occasional....I want to go to jail dude that speeds up

Slim Hacker · « **Reply #16 on:** January 28, 2009, 06:04:38 PM »

that would be funny put a webcam up and watch it

robin1989 · « **Reply #17 on:** January 28, 2009, 06:41:05 PM »

or youve been clocked your tickets in the mail

budgray19 · « **Reply #18 on:** January 28, 2009, 06:41:29 PM »

i woulda liekd to put, cops ahead get donuts

PsychoticWolf · « **Reply #19 on:** January 28, 2009, 08:32:27 PM »

Quote from: Mactastic Mendez on January 28, 2009, 06:41:05 PM

or youve been clocked your tickets in the mail

THAT WOULD BE FUNNY.. it would be awesome i would have shat bricks.

FreeK · « **Reply #20 on:** January 28, 2009, 08:37:24 PM »

"The cake is a lie"

PsychoticWolf · « **Reply #21 on:** January 28, 2009, 08:44:39 PM »

I got it.. Companion cube misses you

H-Sauce · « **Reply #22 on:** January 29, 2009, 09:26:11 AM »

If epicness ws made of strawberries, we'd be drinking a lot of smoothies right now.

noah03ark · « **Reply #23 on:** February 03, 2009, 09:39:54 AM »

another just hit my hometown of Carmel, Indiana

I'm not there right now, but i will be in a few weeks, so i hope it either stays there untill I can see it, or someone does it to another one (becuase there's always construction there, the mayor has a fetish for roundabouts)

if i do see one i'll snap a pic

but seriously, in the pic provided i used to drive by that place literally every day, it was on the way back from school, i remember that shopping center and everything...that big building in the background is a Borders! and that annoying marsh sign with the lights always had about 15 lights out so you couldn't ever read it...and i drove past that horribly long light on the way to the apple store, down the way by where all that thar trees are

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/18620871/detail.html#-
http://i.gizmodo.com/5145386/velociraptors-now-hunting-drivers-on-indiana-roads

PsychoticWolf · « **Reply #24 on:** February 04, 2009, 12:46:29 PM »

Quote from: noah03ark on February 03, 2009, 09:39:54 AM

another just hit my hometown of Carmel, Indiana
I'm not there right now, but i will be in a few weeks, so i hope it either stays there untill I can see it, or someone does it to another one (becuase there's always construction there, the mayor has a fetish for roundabouts)

if i do see one i'll snap a pic

but seriously, in the pic provided i used to drive by that place literally every day, it was on the way back from school, i remember that shopping center and everything...that big building in the background is a Borders! and that annoying marsh sign with the lights always had about 15 lights out so you couldn't ever read it...and i drove past that horribly long light on the way to the apple store, down the way by where all that thar trees are

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/18620871/detail.html#-
http://i.gizmodo.com/5145386/velociraptors-now-hunting-drivers-on-indiana-roads

Lol Not as Funny but still Epic.