Cyber Security And Digital Signage

Digital signage is becoming an increasingly common sight in towns and cities around the world and there’s no doubt that it has incredible potential for customisation and interaction with consumers in a whole new way.

But, as with anything, there can be risks and in this day and age of smart technology, cyber security is something you should think about when you set up LED electronic billboards, or any other kind of digital signage.

While someone hacking into signage isn’t likely to have the same disastrous consequences as the cyber attacks that hit the NHS and other organisations earlier this month, it can certainly be embarrassing.

This was demonstrated recently at Washington DC’s Union Station, where porn played on a video advertising screen during rush hour. The station hasn’t yet worked out how it happened, but hacking is one possible explanation.

Before you start to worry, many of the solutions to make digital signage more secure are simple to implement and easy to find. Taking basic steps – like you would with any electronic device – and installing anti-virus software, ensuring that data is encrypted and introducing session timeouts are all advisable.

An article for Wirespring suggested that businesses approach it from three perspectives – physical security, device-level security and network security – to ensure you’re covering all your bases.

Taking the time to configure device-specific and network settings correctly can make signage much more secure, while investing in digital signage software that has in-built security features is also advisable. 

Digital signage and LED billboards can be a great advertising tool, but it’s definitely in every company’s interests to focus on security as well as content and quality.