14 DAY TRIAL // The passion for gaming has no limits, and security staff at the Portland International Airport certainly knows this best.
A hardcore gamer, who for some reason was carrying a PlayStation 4 in his luggage, decided to plug in his gaming console to a monitor used to display passenger information only to play a game of Apex Legends.
While it’s not very clear how exactly he obtained access to the connectivity ports of the screens, since these aren’t supposed to be exposed in the first place, it looks like the man took over a monitor displaying a map of the airport.
Unsecured connections
When approached by the security staff at the airport, the traveler only asked if he could finish the game. Unsurprisingly, the answer was no, so the man voluntarily disconnected his PlayStation 4, airport staff says in an interview with radio station KXL.
“That is obviously something that we don’t want to have happened because travelers need the information that we are putting on the screens for them,” Port of Portland spokesperson Kama Simonds told the radio station. “Apparently, it was a very polite and cordial interaction.”
A photo published by The Oregonian and showing the man enjoying his game reveals that the hijacked monitor was installed alongside screens used to display arrivals and departures, along with other passenger information. The cables in the back of the screen confirm that access to the connectivity ports was fairly easy, as airport staff most likely didn’t secure them.
Airport staff says this is “a good reminder of what not to do at the airport,” but at the same time, it goes without saying that these display connections, as well as power sources, must be protected, especially because pretty much any traveler can hijack the screens for more malicious purposes than playing games.