Hacked electronic sign declares “Putin is a dickhead” as Russian ruble slumps

9 months ago AndyC

Someone clearly isn’t very impressed with Vladimir Putin, as the Russian economy continues to tank in the wake of sanctions.

As the ruble plummets below 100/$ today, Russian officials are saying there’s nothing to worry about.

Someone clearly isn’t very impressed with Vladimir Putin, as the Russian economy continues to tank in the wake of sanctions.

As the ruble plummets below 100/$ today, Russian officials are saying there’s nothing to worry about.

But not everyone is convinced: in Surgut, a Siberian oil town, someone hacked this news ticker to say “Putin is a dickhead and a thief. 100₽/$ – you’ve lost your fucking mind” pic.twitter.com/pLQ29FkIUP

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— max seddon (@maxseddon) August 14, 2023

Over the years we’ve seen plenty of electronic road signs and billboards hacked to display “amusing” messages.

I assume that officials are now investigating with some haste whether whoever updated the ticker in the oil town of Surgut – declare that “Vladimir Putin is a dickhead and a thief” – was a rogue member of staff, or a hacker exploiting a poorly-secured or default password.

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AndyC

Andy Curtis is an award-winning security consultant, researcher and public speaker. He has been working in the computer security industry since the early 1990s, having been employed by state and federal government, leading healthcare and banking providers across three continents. He has given talks about computer security for some of the world’s largest companies, worked with law enforcement agencies on investigations into hacking groups, and is a regular voice on TV and radio explaining IT security threats.

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