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Hacked Austin Road Signs Warn of Zombies

Someone broke the locks, got through the password, reprogrammed the signs and then changed the passwords.

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.

Wayne E. Hanson served as a writer and editor with e.Republic from 1989 to 2013, having worked for several business units including Government Technology magazine, the Center for Digital Government, Governing, and Digital Communities. Hanson was a juror from 1999 to 2004 with the Stockholm Challenge and Global Junior Challenge competitions in information technology and education.