If Only Every Digital Signage Hack Put Fluffy Cat Animations On The Compromised Screens …

August 20, 2024 by Dave Haynes

When a digital sign gets compromised – whether that’s a flat panel in a venue or a big LED display in a public setting – it usually involves something naughty, awful or embarrassing. Cat animations aren’t typically what appear, but that’s what happened recently on several billboards used by the Oregon Lottery.

At least seven billboards located around the state – that have LED components used to update jackpot totals – were somehow or other penetrated and the content switched from $300 Million!!! or whatever to a pair of furry animated cats hugging. Apparently there is a whole subculture around furry cats and people: Furries are people who have an interest in anthropomorphic animals, or animals with human qualities. Many furries create their own animal character, known as a fursona, which functions as their avatar within furry communities.

With all the awful out there, fursonas are eccentric but kinda sweet, I suppose.

The state lottery said it wasn’t their content, and pointed the finger at the LED vendor – Daktronics. The media company that owns and runs the billboards – Meadow Outdoor Advertising – also pointed its index finger at Daktronics.

Dak, in turn, suggested this happened because of “specific hardware devices that were accessible publicly on the Internet (not properly protected by firewalls or within a VPN network).”

Which I assume means the media players/video wall controllers,and perhaps the good old boo-boo of using 123456 as a password.