There were red faces all round at Ponte de Lima this week when hackers hijacked a council information panel and broadcast explicit sex scenes as people were out enjoying the night air.
Even worse, the cyber-attack was controlled in real-time, so that the hackers were able to ‘interact’ with police and council staff called in to deal with the situation.
Resident Valentim Fernandes told Correio da Manhã newspaper that the minute two officers arrived, the soft porn being broadcast switched to images of policemen having sex.
The council panel in the town’s main Abril 25 Avenue usually displays information on the neighbourhood. But on this particular night, that all went by the board as sexy scenes embarrassed all and sundry.
“I felt very uncomfortable,” Fernandes continued. “I could see other people did too, so I called the police.”
This was when things became even more bizarre and the images on display suddenly switched to police officers having sex.
Fernandes and a council worker by the name of Ferraz tried to cover the panel with a black plastic bag.
“I said to Ferraz that the images had stopped, and suddenly a message appeared on the panel saying: “Oh Ferraz, go **** yourself,” a flustered Fernandes explained to CM.
“The panel had a video camera so that whoever was doing what they were doing also saw what was going on.”
As an incredulous crowd began to gather, someone came up with the idea of pulling the panel’s power supply.
It is now remaining blank and disconnected, while the PSP write up their report and hand it in to the Public Prosecutor.
“This is shameful,” Valentim Fernandes considered. “It’s bad for tourism.”
