Pro-Hamas Hackers Disrupt airports Across North America with Unauthorized Messages
KELOWNA, BC – Pro-Palestinian hacktivists infiltrated audio and display systems at multiple North American airports this week, broadcasting pro-Hamas slogans and anti-Israel messages to passengers, authorities confirmed. The breaches, which impacted Kelowna International Airport in British Columbia, Canada, and reportedly other locations across the continent, are the latest in a series of similar digital intrusions linked to the ongoing 2023 Israel-Gaza conflict.
at Kelowna airport, passengers reported hearing pro-Hamas messages over the public address system.”Nobody informed us what was going on,there was no crisis response. Everyone was just really confused,” one traveler told CNN. Images circulating on social media showed airport display screens flashing pro-Hamas slogans before staff disabled the feed.
Kelowna airport officials stated the unauthorized messages were deleted, flight details was restored, and work is underway to fully reset the sound system. Canadian authorities, including the Royal Canadian Mounted police, Transport Canada, and the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, are assisting with the inquiry. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks.
The incidents highlight increasing vulnerabilities in airport networks, which are becoming increasingly reliant on cloud-based audio and display systems. Cybersecurity experts note a surge in attacks targeting transport, finance, and government infrastructure over the past two years.
Similar breaches have occurred recently. In June, the FBI reported a criminal group penetrated the computer networks of several US and Canadian airlines. A month later, a ransomware attack caused widespread disruption at major European hubs, knocking out check-in systems used by dozens of carriers.
Several hacktivist collectives are suspected of involvement. The Dark Storm Team has previously targeted US airports, NATO servers, and israeli infrastructure. Groups associated with the OpIsrael campaign have defaced or disabled public websites across North America.According to Radware, these groups have intensified thier coordination ahead of April 7th.
