The so-called evidence of someone tampering with the Ethernet port near the "hacker's" seat is a slightly damaged housing and some slightly backed-out screws. Coincidentally this is the same damage the housing would receive if bumped a few hundred/thousand times by passenger feet and/or luggage.
Remember the first rule of aviation journalism is it's nearly certain the story has something to do with an aircraft, all other details are highly questionable. The reporters and editors in general interest "journalism" wouldn't notice the difference between a C-152 and B-747 carrying the Space Shuttle. If the hacker claimed to have hacked the microwave ovens in the crew-rest area of a Piper Cub to communicate with Mars they wouldn't spot anything fishy.