Hackers Compromise Airport PA Systems in Canada and US
Unauthorized messages praising Hamas and criticizing President Trump broadcast at four airports.
Hackers compromised the public address systems (PA) at four airports on Tuesday, three of which are located in Canada and one in the United States.
The incidents involved broadcasting messages that praised Hamas and criticized US President Donald Trump.
According to officials and news reports, these unauthorized broadcasts caused concern among airport management and authorities.
At Kelowna International Airport in British Columbia, an "advertisement streaming service" was briefly compromised, allowing for the dissemination of unauthorized content.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is investigating this incident alongside other agencies.
No further details were provided by the RCMP. Similarly, Victoria International Airport also faced disruptions when hackers broadcast messages in a foreign language and played music over its PA system.
In response, airport officials quickly switched to an internal system to regain control of their communications.
The Canadian Center for Cyber Security is assisting both airports and the RCMP with ongoing investigations into these incidents.
In the United States, Harrisburg International Airport in Pennsylvania suffered a breach that allowed hackers to broadcast messages via its PA system as well.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy acknowledged this occurrence on social media but did not elaborate further.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and airport officials are currently investigating the breach at Harrisburg.
Furthermore, Windsor International Airport in Ontario experienced disruptions after hackers compromised both its flight information display screens and public address system.
Unauthorized images and announcements were displayed before the systems reverted to normal operations.
The breach was traced back to a cloud-based software provider used by the airport.
While officials have not disclosed the details of their investigation's findings, they noted that systems at Windsor International Airport returned to normal shortly after the incident.
These incidents raise concerns about cybersecurity vulnerabilities in smaller airports.
Notably, the targeted airports—Kelowna, Victoria, Harrisburg, and Windsor—are considered smaller feeder airports compared to larger hubs.
For instance, Kelowna International Airport served just over 2 million passengers in 2024, whereas Vancouver International Airport saw more than 25 million travelers that same year.
The security breaches at these four airports highlight the need for robust cybersecurity measures to protect critical infrastructure from potential cyberattacks.
The incidents involved broadcasting messages that praised Hamas and criticized US President Donald Trump.
According to officials and news reports, these unauthorized broadcasts caused concern among airport management and authorities.
At Kelowna International Airport in British Columbia, an "advertisement streaming service" was briefly compromised, allowing for the dissemination of unauthorized content.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is investigating this incident alongside other agencies.
No further details were provided by the RCMP. Similarly, Victoria International Airport also faced disruptions when hackers broadcast messages in a foreign language and played music over its PA system.
In response, airport officials quickly switched to an internal system to regain control of their communications.
The Canadian Center for Cyber Security is assisting both airports and the RCMP with ongoing investigations into these incidents.
In the United States, Harrisburg International Airport in Pennsylvania suffered a breach that allowed hackers to broadcast messages via its PA system as well.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy acknowledged this occurrence on social media but did not elaborate further.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and airport officials are currently investigating the breach at Harrisburg.
Furthermore, Windsor International Airport in Ontario experienced disruptions after hackers compromised both its flight information display screens and public address system.
Unauthorized images and announcements were displayed before the systems reverted to normal operations.
The breach was traced back to a cloud-based software provider used by the airport.
While officials have not disclosed the details of their investigation's findings, they noted that systems at Windsor International Airport returned to normal shortly after the incident.
These incidents raise concerns about cybersecurity vulnerabilities in smaller airports.
Notably, the targeted airports—Kelowna, Victoria, Harrisburg, and Windsor—are considered smaller feeder airports compared to larger hubs.
For instance, Kelowna International Airport served just over 2 million passengers in 2024, whereas Vancouver International Airport saw more than 25 million travelers that same year.
The security breaches at these four airports highlight the need for robust cybersecurity measures to protect critical infrastructure from potential cyberattacks.
