When former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in 2022, hackers responded. Digital signs used by government agencies and private enterprises were targeted by those seeking to tamper with content and spread misinformation.
In an effort to prevent signage hacking and the resulting chaos, Taiwan’s Minister of Digital Affairs Audrey Tang signed a Draft Amendment to the Principles Restricting the Use of Products Endangering National Information Security by Agencies. The amendment lists communication devices in public places as products endangering national information security. It is intended to ensure that governments, administrative agencies and public utilities — including the TRA, THSRC and MRT — can use digital signs without information security risks.
Here is why the signage might have been open to hacks, and how organisations can help protect their digital signage from hackers.
Trojans and lack of anti-virus programs may have factored in
The chaos following the digital signage hacks caused many people to ask why both public and private digital signage solutions were susceptible to hackers. Expert analysis provides some answers to these questions.
The digital signage targeted by these attacks may have contained components with pre-installed Trojan horse programs or chips with back-doors. This can happen when manufacturers use budget chips or unknown components. Taiwanese manufacturers have been historically successful in winning the trust of international customers with regards to hardware manufacturing and component selection. Signage solutions manufactured in Taiwan are free of Trojan horse programs that may be installed during the production process elsewhere, and adhere to practices that guarantee security in the underlying hardware.
The security software on the operating system (OS) also has an impact. Whether it’s an open-source Linux system or relatively closed Windows system, the use of anti-virus and/or whitelist encryption software is an important security factor. The software significantly increases the difficulty hackers encounter when penetrating the OS and/or signage solution software. Using security software helps free organisations from worry regarding the unauthorised capturing of disk partitions and other underlying information. It also helps prevents the unauthorised rewriting of display content through remote control. Organisations can help prevent successful hacking by using Taiwanese-made high-quality digital signage hardware or by installing defence software at the OS level.
How Advantech supports organisations in preventing signage hacks
Andy Lin, Senior Manager of Advantech’s embedded IoT business group, proposes several strategies for preventing hackers from entering the pipeline. First is the installation of anti-virus software. For example, Advantech’s DS-085 multimedia player allows users to integrate McAfee Application Control whitelist protection via an additional purchase to block execution of unauthorised applications and prevent zero-day attacks. Second is the use of backup and recovery solutions. The DS-085 supports integration of Acronis Cyber Backup, which offers exclusive ransomware defence technology (active protection). It also enables users to remotely or directly launch Windows or Linux virtual machines from the storage device immediately. This serves as a backup in the event of an attack and results in shorter recovery time.
Third is the use of Microsoft Cloud services. Customers requiring multi-site or multiple region/branch management can use Microsoft Cloud services to ensure secure connection between on-premises devices and the cloud virtual network. This protects applications and sensitive data against external network attacks. Using Microsoft Cloud services enables on-premises DS-085 devices to connect to the cloud through the Azure VPN Gateway. The Azure VPN Gateway is a secure encrypted site-to-site/point-to-site connection, inside a private domain that cannot be attacked by hackers.
In addition to these third-party solutions, the DS-085 comes with Advantech’s DeviceOn software. DeviceOn is used for device management, and allows users to monitor, manage and maintain remote digital signage online to help prevent hacking. DeviceOn leverages the big data it collects to support further user analysis and monitoring, and detect abnormalities that deviate from the normal baseline, enhancing cybersecurity management.
By integrating solutions including McAfee Application Control, Acronis Cyber Backup, the Azure VPN Gateway and DeviceOn, the Advantech DS-085 media player has a robust high-level information security mechanism to help prevent hacking of digital signage.
Beyond security features
The Advantech DS-085 boasts a number of useful features in addition to the security software tools that are designed to prevent hacking. At 19 mm thick, it’s the industry’s slimmest signage player; and is ideal for space-limited installation. It’s also easy to assemble and securely install. It boasts Energy Star® certification, meaning it meets present ESG standards by being energy efficient and environmentally friendly. It also supports up to 4 x HDMI displays with resolution up to 4K and a cable-less Wi-Fi 6 protocol design.
The DS-085 uses built-in SignageCMS software to allow users to schedule content directly without additional tools. It features excellent workmanship, a fanless design and zero noise emission capabilities. It has been tested rigorously. This combination of features and attributes minimises downtime, reduces overheating and avoids the need for off-site staff deployment in the event of maintenance. The DS-085 is an excellent solution for users operating on a 24/7 basis.
After reiterating that hackers plant fake messages in digital signage to disturb the public, Lin added that these incidents harm signage solution owners. Indeed, such attacks may damage the credibility of public agencies, cause disputes and affect the reputation of businesses. This is why Taiwanese-made digital signage solutions with built-in playback software, 24/7 reliability, integrated data security/backup and recovery/device management software are worth considering.
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Article courtesy of Advantech.
