Hackers ahead

• Posted: February 5, 2009
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• Author: Melvin
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• Filed under: Hacking
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• Tags: No tags set for this entry.

Someone apparently hacked into an electronic road sign in Hamilton County Monday morning, prompting stares and giggles from motorists because of the message the sign displayed.

The sign, which read “Raptors Ahead Caution,” amused motorists in a construction zone on Keystone Avenue, just north of 116th Street.

“It’s kind of crazy. I’m totally confused,” said one motorist. “I’m kind of expecting … dinosaurs to run down the road, or something.”

Another puzzled motorist said, “Which raptors?” before adding that he hadn’t seen the sign.

Carmel spokeswoman Nancy Heck said the signs on Keystone Avenue are owned by a contractor, Highway Technologies, which is responsible for programming signs in the Keystone Avenue construction zone.

The odd road sign in Indiana came days after a widely publicized highway road sign message near the University of Texas that warned motorists “Caution! Zombies Ahead!” and “Nazi Zombies! Run!!!”

Another sign in Collinsville said: “Daily lane closures due to zombies“.

Apparently, while most road sign control pads are placed in a lock box, that box is rarely actually locked. And while most road signs are under password protection, that password is most generally just the default code “DOTS”—or you can easily reset the password by holding “shift” and “control” while typing “DIPY” (so that it just defaults to “DOTS” again).

Of course, these actions are illegal, so play around with it at your own risk.

In speaking of the sign “hackers ahead”, don’t forget the hacker event ahead: Hackin at Random in august 2009: www.har2009.org!

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