Digital Billboard Hacked…All In Good Fun

An electronic billboard in Belgrade was reportedly hacked by two computer science majors trying to make a simple point about issues in today’s network security (or lack thereof). They used the billboard to play a jumbo version of the classic arcade game “Space Invaders.”

Such a display of activity should act as an alarm to all network operators of the potential threat of cyber attack on public displays. The liability and damages of such a display could be extremely detrimental to any digital sign operator. This is a healthy warning sign to anyone operating a digital display screen network.

After being hacked for more than 20 minutes, the pranksters reported directly to the billboard company and were subsequently rewarded with iPad minis for pointing out the security flaws in the company’s network. Lucky for them the hackers were not intent on proving their point with more nefarious images or “games” on the display like that which has been done in the past.