A newly installed crosswalk near the Matlacha Bridge is turning heads—and ears—for the wrong reasons. Instead of standard walk signals, the device repeatedly blasts the phrase “Change password,” confusing pedestrians and frustrating nearby residents.
“Every minute it blares ‘change password,’ at all hours,” said Pine Island resident and information security expert Dane Kantner.
Kantner works as an information security expert. He believes the issue stems from an incomplete installation. Modern crosswalk systems often use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and if default settings aren’t properly configured—like setting a new password—they can be easily accessed or altered.
“There’s obviously a process the installer follows, but someone skipped a step,” Kantner said. “Everything you need to know to customize these systems is online.”
While the current message is harmless, Kantner warns that the vulnerability could allow anyone to hack the system and replace the audio with something inappropriate or misleading.
Plus, the message goes off every 60 seconds.
“The woman who lives right here shouldn’t have to hear that message all night,” he added.
The Florida Department of Transportation says it’s looking into the issue and plans to fix it. We’ll update you when they do.
DOWNLOAD
the free
Gulf Coast News app
for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more.