By Bill Ripp, VP Digital Development, Lamar Advertising and chairman of OAAA Digital Billboard Committee.

Getting hacked is like having a heart attack. You probably won’t have one, but if you do, you’ll wonder what you could have done to prevent it.  New tools are available to dramatically reduce the odds that your digital billboard structures are breached.

Here are updated, clearly written OAAA guidelines to enhance security. For more details, listen to the OAAA webinar recorded July 25.

OAAA commissioned top security experts, who refer to themselves as “benign hackers,” on behalf of the industry (Digital Defense, Inc.).

These outside experts conducted extensive field testing on digital billboards. As a result, a report was issued and includes these 10 tips:

• Improve password strength; do not use common passwords or rely on defaults.

• Limit who has computer access information.

• Use multi-factor authentication (a token, key fob, and-or other authentication instead of solely relying on passwords).

• Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to tighten access.

• Apply security patches as soon as they are available, to update as new vulnerabilities are discovered.

• Turn off any management method (ports) not is use to reduce potential for a breach.

• Verify the trustworthiness of employees who have access to your billboards.

• Appoint a security officer or team to update controls.

• Protect the structure (fencing, door alarms, and-or trespass cameras). If unauthorized access is detected, the ad rotation should be interrupted.

• Install remote interrupts to shut down a billboard if it’s hacked.

Yes, some of these steps add expense, but security matters and qualifies as vital self-interest.

First, hacking frustrates our customers. What advertisers want campaigns associated with obnoxious, unauthorized copy?

Second, hacking could lead to new municipal regulations. Regulators and elected officials want to be sure that digital billboards are secure.

Further, hacking is a real problem, not a potential one.

Lastly, Hacking generates unflattering, global media attention. Are you prepared for the negative press?

If I haven’t convinced you yet that digital security is a worthy investment, read this blog post during a recent billboard debate in Santa Clarita, CA:

Within 10 seconds, I had downloaded notes on digital billboard hacking (from a hacking conference). The vulnerabilities of digital billboards are surprisingly many. Logins and passwords like “admin” and “password” are often used. Over-eager sales teams are described as all too ready to give away technical details about digital billboards.

If Santa Clarita’s proposed digital billboards are . . . approved and installed, they may very well be attacked.

Let’s take this argument off the table. We can stay ahead of hackers by deploying a checklist of affordable, easy-to-install security protocols. The price of in-action, or avoidance, is way too high.

Paid Ad