Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has launched an investigation into an apparent hackers’ attack which targeted several North American airports on Tuesday, broadcasting pro-Palestine and anti-Donald Trump messages.
In a post published on social media platform X late on Tuesday, Duffy condemned the cyberbreaches, saying that he was “coordinating” with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) “to help get to the bottom of this hack.”
Why It Matters
The apparent hack is just the latest in a series of cyberattacks that have recently disrupted the air travel industry in North America and Western Europe.
In late June, the FBI confirmed that a notorious cybercriminal group, known as “Scattered Spider,” had successfully breached into the computer networks of multiple airlines in the U.S. and Canada that same month. While there was no immediate threat to travelers’ physical safety, the perpetrators likely aimed to steal sensitive data for extortion, the FBI said.
Last month, some of Europe’s biggest airports, including London Heathrow, were forced to temporarily suspend operations due to a hacking incident which affected check-in and boarding systems provider Collins Aerospace, causing delays and cancellations which affected hundreds of travelers.
What To Know
Four airports across North America—three in Canada and one in the U.S.—saw their message board and public address systems taken over by unauthorized messages praising Hamas and attacking the U.S. president on Tuesday.
In one video among the many circulating on social media filmed by a traveler at Pennsylvania’s Harrisburg International Airport (HIA) and shared by CNN affiliate WGAL, it is possible to hear the intercom playing a “Free Palestine” message, followed by profanity against Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Similar incidents were reported at Kelowna International Airport and Victoria International Airport in British Columbia, as well as Windsor International Airport in Ontario, according to Transport Canada.
While the apparent hack sparked concerns at HIA, no security issues were discovered and staff continued operating as normal, local news media reported. A flight that was about to depart at the time of the broadcasting of the recording was searched by security, but no issues were found and the flight departed safely.
The other airports affected also reported disruptions in the aftermath of the unauthorized messages’ circulation, with some flights at Kelowna International Airport being delayed.
What People Are Saying
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wrote on X of the hackers’ action, sharing a video showing the messages displaying across several North American airports: “This is absolutely unacceptable and understandably scared travelers.”
HIA spokesperson Scott Miller told WGAL that “an unauthorized user gained access to the airport PA system and played an unauthorized recorded message” on Tuesday.
“The message was political in nature and did not contain any threats against the airport, our tenants, airlines, or passengers. The PA system was shut off, and the incident is under investigation by police.”
A passenger at HIA, Glen Brown, told WGAL: “You had to do a double-take and ask yourself if what you were hearing was actually real. The real question I have is, if they hack the paging system in an international airport, what else are they tunneling into?”
Victoria International Airport said in a statement on Tuesday: “We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and thank our passengers for their patience and cooperation.”
Windsor International Airport president Mark Galvin told CNN: “Our team responded quickly, removed the images and shut off the recorded PA announcement. We returned to normal shortly thereafter and have been operating without incident.”
What Happens Next
An investigation into the incidents is ongoing in Canada, as well as in the U.S.
Transport Canada said in a statement that they are “working closely with federal security partners, including law enforcement, to ensure there were no impacts on the safety and security of airport operations, and to mitigate disruption from similar incidents in the future.”
Newsweek contacted Harrisburg International Airport, Kelowna International Airport, Windsor International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Transportation Security Administration and Transport Canada by email for comment on Wednesday.
Victoria International Airport was contacted by phone. An automated reply from the FAA said that “due to a lapse in funding, the FAA is not responding to routine media inquiries.”