Report: Watch Dogs Game May Have Influenced Highway Sign Hacking 154
An anonymous reader writes 'Earlier this month, at least three U.S. states reported that a hacker had broken into electronic road signs above major highways, with the hacker leaving messages for people to follow him on Twitter. The Multi-State Information Sharing an Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) produced an intelligence report blaming a Saudi Arabian hacker that the organization says likely got the idea from Watch Dogs, a new video in which game play revolves around "hacking," with a focus on hacking critical infrastructure-based electronic devices in particular. "Watch Dogs allows players to hack electronic road signs, closed-circuit television cameras (CCTVs), street lights, cell phones and other systems. On May 27, 2014, the malicious actor posted an image of the game on his Twitter feed, demonstrating his interest in the game, and the compromise of road signs occurs during game play. CIS believes it is likely that a small percentage of Watch Dogs players will experiment with compromising computers and electronic systems outside of game play, and that this activity will likely affect SSLT [state, local, tribal and territorial] government systems and Department of Transportation (DOT) systems in particular." The signs allowed telnet and were secured with weak or default passwords. The report came out on the same day that The Homeland Security Department cautioned transportation operators about a security hole in some electronic freeway billboards that could let hackers display bogus warnings to drivers.'
Yes, lets blame video games (Score:5, Funny)
Video games are the big evil. They are murderer trainers and hacking instructors. They fill our kids with all sort of evil ideas and shows them how to properly and easily do them in the real world.
Fucking twats. People been hacking non electric street signs since those have been coming out. And I'm pretty sure you'll find other peeps have been hacking electric sings way before this (I know I've seen them). What makes this big? Oh ya, a video game came out where you can hack signs. Easy to blame the game, since obviously video games are responsible for the shooting the other day also.
Dwarf Fortress made me masturbate to midgets (Score:2, Funny)
with beards!
Re:more quality moderation/editing: (Score:2, Funny)
I am the Commander of The CLIT.
L.A. Story? (Score:5, Funny)
I'd hack a sign to say "KISS HER YOU FOOL" or "THAT FELT GOOD". That should make things interesting.
This happened 20 years ago (Score:4, Funny)
Some guy hacked freeway condition signs in LA with cryptic messages and weather reports, and even installed a set of remote-operable bagpipes in one.
The hacker went to jail later for a series of 419 scams.
Re:Well then the SOLUTION is obvious (Score:5, Funny)
It's pretty hard for a kid in Saudi Arabia to spray paint signs all over North America.
Re: Well then the SOLUTION is obvious (Score:0, Funny)
That's because all the stereotypes of hicks and rednecks are absolutely true.
It's an improvement, I guess (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Weed valley (Score:2, Funny)
Surely cross the top of the u - less tape needed and arguably funnier ;-)