ZOMBIES AHEAD!

[*Teach*]

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

Hackers Crack Into Texas Road Sign, Warn of Zombies Ahead

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

By Joshua Rhett Miller
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."

"It's sort of amusing, but not at all helpful," he told FOXNews.com.

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Tampering with portable road signs is illegal and potentially dangerous to drivers. It is a misdemeanor in Texas, with penalties ranging from fines to potential jail time.

Lippincott said the hacked sign — manufactured by IMAGO — is owned 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.


*It has already been suggested that I hack a sign to say rum toll ahead at TRF*

[Muffin]

  hee hee hee!!

[Cobaltblu]

It shows how easy it is to find areas where people don't set passwords and how inefficient and insecure government is.

I remember in the mid-1990's when you used to be able to call any number of phone systems of companies and then press "9" and it would put you to an external line and you could call anyone anywhere for free.

I love zombies and think the world would be much more entertaining if we had a few of them wandering around looking for brains to eat.

Regards,

CB

[Grov]

Read/listen to "World War Z" for one version of how a global zombie event would change life as we know it.  Finished it recently on a few trips down to NO.  About a six hour listen.
Infra-red wouldn't work.  Having to actually destroy brains to kill them renders most massive munitions impractical.  They don't sleep or breath.  For years there would be zombies walking up onto beaches.  Check it out.

[NORSEMAN]

Read/listen to "World War Z" for one version of how a global zombie event would change life as we know it.  Finished it recently on a few trips down to NO.  About a six hour listen.
Infra-red wouldn't work.  Having to actually destroy brains to kill them renders most massive munitions impractical.  They don't sleep or breath.  For years there would be zombies walking up onto beaches.  Check it out.

Thats a cool looking book!, I'll check it out!, maybe I can give them some advise I was married too a zombie once!.

[Macintyre]

The same author wrote the Zombie Survival Guide which is also super awesome.

[Lady Nicolette]

One of my favorite cartoons ever had a guy sitting up in bed, looking at drooling zombies outside of his window.  The caption read, "Oh great.  Zombies.  Now I'll never get to sleep!"

[NORSEMAN]

The same author wrote the Zombie Survival Guide which is also super awesome.

Believe it or not I actually have that book!, I like all the Zombie movies and such!.

[Anna Iram]

Yep. Every self respecting zombie hunter knows you gotta hit 'em in the head to kill 'em.

I'll have to look for WWZ. Sounds good.


My opinion is a bit of humour...and hopeful zombie spotting...might do more to keep drivers happy and drivers driving safely than what is usually less than helpful info on electronic signs. Bring on the humour..please!

[LadyShadow]

Oh too good.  I wish I could have seen it.

[Molden]

Atsa me home port! Keepin' it weird Yo! 

[lilaney]

http://www.zombiehunters.org/

This is a legit group too...
Like the Wench's and Rogue's...

[Cobaltblu]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbvP7dT3Dx0

or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Xs9OQHpwDE

ZOMBIES AHEAD
RUN!
DANGER WILL ROBINSON!

Regards,

CB

[Aiacha]

Read/listen to "World War Z" for one version of how a global zombie event would change life as we know it.  Finished it recently on a few trips down to NO.  About a six hour listen.
Infra-red wouldn't work.  Having to actually destroy brains to kill them renders most massive munitions impractical.  They don't sleep or breath.  For years there would be zombies walking up onto beaches.  Check it out.

Wasn't that a great book to listen to?  Unfortunately, they don't do all of the stories, but the voice acting is great.  I play it on my ipod sometimes going in and out of work.  Read it and listen to it!

[Grov]

Going to make that same drive again tomorrow.  I can maybe get through half of it on the way down and back.  With the separate personal accounts, that shouldn't really matter.  More stories in the book eh?  Going to have to find that sucker for sure.

[Aiacha]

It's in paperback now, but It's one of the few books I own in hardback, because I heard so much good stuff about it.  I'm hoping one day I'll be able to get him to sign it.