Hacking of Airport Systems in Canada and the United States to Broadcast Pro-Hamas Messages

Reuters reported, citing officials and news reports, that hackers managed to breach public broadcasting systems at four airports, three in Canada and one in the United States, to broadcast messages praising Hamas and criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump.

Authorities stated that the incident caused music and messages to be broadcast over loudspeakers inside passenger terminals before technical teams could regain control of the systems.


Canadian Police: Temporary Breach of Broadcasting Systems

In Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Kelowna, British Columbia, confirmed that the "Announcement Broadcasting Service" system at Kelowna International Airport experienced a temporary breach, where unauthorized content was published.

The police added in a statement that investigations are still ongoing in cooperation with other security agencies, without disclosing additional details about the identity of the party responsible for the attack or the method of hacking used.


Other Airports in the Province Affected by the Incident

At Victoria International Airport in the same province, an official spokesperson said that the hackers managed to access the loudspeaker system through third-party software. He explained that the airport had to switch to a temporary internal system to regain control and prevent unauthorized broadcasting from happening again.

Windsor International Airport in Ontario also confirmed that it experienced a similar breach on Tuesday evening, where flight display screens and loudspeakers broadcasted "unauthorized images and announcements." The airport clarified that the malfunction occurred in an external software provider, noting that the systems returned to normal after a short period.

Ongoing U.S. Investigations

In the United States, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated on social media that the hackers also targeted the loudspeaker system at Harrisburg International Airport in Pennsylvania.

Duffy added that the Federal Aviation Administration and airport officials opened a joint investigation to determine the source of the attack and the nature of the vulnerability that allowed the systems to be breached.

Growing Concerns Over Attacks on Digital Infrastructure

These incidents come amid increasing fears of cyberattacks targeting critical transportation facilities in North America, amid calls to enhance the security of networks and operating systems at airports to ensure that such breaches do not occur again in the future.