Signs warn of 'zombies ahead'

AUSTIN, Texas - Hackers got into computer-controlled road
signs in Austin, Texas, changing their warning from
construction to "zombies ahead." Many drivers thought the
vandalism was a light-hearted prank -- like Jane Shin, a
University of Texas student, who was with friends when she
saw the warning Sunday night. "I thought it was pretty
funny," she told KXAN-TV. "We wondered who did it." City
officials had a different take. Sara Hartley, a spokeswoman
for the public works department, said the pranksters had
to break into the sign to get at the computer inside,
cutting through a padlock, and then hack the computer to
change the message. The signs belong to the construction
company involved in the project. "Even though this may
seem amusing to a lot of people, this is really serious,
and it is a crime," Hartley said. "And you can be indicted
for it, and we want to make sure our traffic on the road-
ways stays safe." The zombie warning went away Monday
morning after a construction superintendent saw the signs
as he drove to work