Hacked road sign talks back after driver complains to council

“Do you want to speak to a manager Karen?”

Graham Cluley
Graham Cluley
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@gcluley

Hacked road sign talks back after driver complains to council

Karen Banks from Swadlincote in South Derbyshire, England, isn’t very happy with whoever managed to post this message on an electronic traffic information sign in the neighbouring town of Burton.

GO BACK TO SWAD YOU IDIOTS. WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE IN LOCKDOWN!

The grouchy Ms Banks told the Burton Life Facebook group that she had complained to the council to express her displeasure:

Facebook post

No doubt she isn’t too happy with the message that was displayed later that evening then…

Karen message

DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO A MANAGER KAREN?

One presumes council bosses are investigating who has been posting the messages – a rogue member of staff or a hacker.

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As we’ve discussed before, there has been a long history of hacked electronic road signs and billboards, often exploiting default passwords and poorly-maintained systems.


Graham Cluley is an award-winning keynote speaker who has given presentations around the world about cybersecurity, hackers, and online privacy. A veteran of the computer security industry since the early 1990s, he wrote the first ever version of Dr Solomon's Anti-Virus Toolkit for Windows, makes regular media appearances, and is the co-host of the popular "Smashing Security" podcast. Follow him on Twitter, Mastodon, Threads, Bluesky, or drop him an email.

3 comments on “Hacked road sign talks back after driver complains to council”

  1. Deb Radcliff

    Funny. Thanks! Look forward to learning if it was an insider or an external hacker doing this.

    1. no-op · in reply to Deb Radcliff

      these types of roadsigns are stupid easy to hack, anyone with a hi-vis vest and a short tutorial off the internet can do it

  2. Charles P Stumpwhistle III

    Of course, it HAD to ba a Karen.

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