The Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam is famous for its colour-changing lighting. As it turns out, until yesterday afternoon, anyone was able to change to the colour, as the system that controls the colour palette was not password protected, reports Rijnmond.
A Rotterdam resident made the discovery after seeing a report by Rijnmond last November, in which a manager used an iPad to control the lighting of the Erasmus Bridge. The city changes the colour many times a year for special occasions such as King’s Day and Liberation Day.
Having taken a special interest in this observation, the keen resident found via search engine results for “unsecured devices Rotterdam” that he too could change the colours of the bridge, and also the Hofplein fountain.
A concerning lack of security
The Rotterdammer reported his finding to RTL tech journalist Daniël Verlaan, who finds the gaps in security concerning. “I was surprised that this was possible. It scares me,” says Verlaan.
The Rotterdam municipality is now investigating similar types of security systems to see if additional risks are present. They write in a statement: “Of course it is not the intention that the decorative lighting can be adjusted by third parties. We are in contact with the supplier of the system to see what adjustment is necessary to prevent this from happening in the future. Until then, the new control system will be out of use.”
What do you make of this curious lack of security in Rotterdam’s bridge control? Let us know in the comments.
Feature Image: Image: Leo Luijten/Wikimedia Commons/CC2.0
