Government Technology

Hacked Austin Road Signs Warn of Zombies

January 29, 2009 By Wayne Hanson

Several roadside traffic hazard warning signs were hacked in Austin, Texas, Monday morning and alternate messages programmed into the computers. According to a report in the Dallas Morning News, someone broke the locks, got through the password, reprogrammed the signs and then changed the passwords. Instead of traffic hazards, the hacked signs warned of zombies. The signs were privately owned and the owner said he would not prosecute, but city officials warned of the dangers of changing the signs.

How to hack these portable signs is now available to anyone on the Internet, so highway officials should take additional precautions.

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