Cybersecurity expert reveals how pornography ended up on a Cairo billboard
Cybersecurity expert Haitham Salah-Eddin revealed that the breach of a digital advertising display management system in Cairo, which resulted in the broadcast of pornographic content, was the result of a cyberattack targeting the international company responsible for managing the advertising content – rather than a breach of the physical billboard itself. During a phone interview … The post…
Haitham Salah-Eddin, a cybersecurity expert, explained that the unauthorized display of pornographic content on a billboard in Cairo was due to a cyberattack targeting the international company responsible for managing the advertising content. The Egyptian company that owns the billboard leased it to this international firm, which manages advertisements in four countries.
The breach of the company's system granted the hacker control over the content displayed on screens worldwide, including in Brazil. Salah-Eddin highlighted that similar attacks have occurred in other countries, such as Germany and England. The motivations behind these attacks vary depending on the groups carrying them out. Some hackers aim to gain attention, while others seek financial gain by executing large-scale operations.
Salah-Eddin also noted that some attacks carry political messages intended to undermine public trust in government safety measures. He warned that unconventional cyberattacks have expanded beyond websites and traditional systems, now affecting internet-connected devices, such as advertising displays, refrigerators, and household appliances.
Salah-Eddin cited an incident in France where approximately 700 smart refrigerators were hacked, causing internal temperatures to rise and leading to the spoilage of frozen food. He emphasized that such attacks are no longer limited to specific locations or countries.
Written by urgent.news from Egypt Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
