Several public LED billboards across Kluang, Johor, were hacked by cyber intruders and used to display obscene images and videos, prompting the local council to shut down all of its screens. The incident reportedly took place yesterday at several locations, including Dataran Tasik Kluang, Taman Intan in Kluang town and along the route towards Kahang.
Majlis Perbandaran Kluang (MPK), who operates and manages the public digital billboards, confirmed the incident in a statement, adding that it would lodge a police report to facilitate further investigations. The council also said it was working with its vendor to determine how the breach occurred, restore the affected system and strengthen its security measures.
MPK apologised for the inconvenience and concern caused by the incident, while Johor Housing and Local Government Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor also confirmed that his office had received a report on the matter. According to Mohd Jafni, the council had taken immediate action by shutting down all its LED screens following the breach.
For now, investigations are ongoing and no culprits have been identified. While there is currently no indication that artificial intelligence (AI) was involved in the attack, it would not be entirely surprising if the technology had been used, given the growing number of recent cyber incidents. Nevertheless, there is no reason to speculate on the method used until investigations uncover more details.
Regardless, the incident serves as yet another reminder that cybersecurity should not be overlooked, even when it comes to seemingly mundane infrastructure such as public digital billboards. As these systems are connected to networks and remotely managed, they still require proper security maintenance, access controls and regular monitoring to prevent unauthorised access.
