The Russian government is purportedly linked to a data breach of the U.S. court filing system, PACER, as reported by The New York Times.
Citing anonymous sources, the newspaper noted Russia “is at least partially responsible” for the cyberattack, without specifying which part of the Russian government is involved.
The hackers probed “midlevel criminal cases in New York City and other jurisdictions, with some cases involving individuals with Russian and Eastern European surnames,” according to the article.
Last week, Politico reported that hackers breached the federal judiciary’s electronic case filing system, possibly accessing identities of confidential informants, which are redacted and not publicly disclosed, risking retaliation against those aiding authorities.
Politico indicated that the stolen data might include sealed criminal dockets and indictments, arrest warrants, and other non-public documents.
The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, which oversees the federal court system, confirmed a cyberattack in a statement on August 7.
The New York Times also cited a memo sent to Justice Department officials, clerks, and chief judges by court administrators, stating “persistent and sophisticated cyber threat actors have recently compromised sealed records,” and emphasized “this remains an URGENT MATTER requiring immediate action.”
This may not be Russia’s first instance targeting the U.S. federal court system.
In 2020, a prolonged Russian cyberattack targeted SolarWinds software, used by large tech companies and government agencies, to deliver a contaminated software update, granting Russian government hackers backdoor access to SolarWinds customers’ networks.
The extensive hack impacted several U.S. government departments, including PACER, facilitating the theft of sealed court documents.
The U.S. Courts, in its August 7 statement, stated that the agency is “enhancing security of the system to prevent future attacks and prioritizing collaboration with courts to mitigate impacts on litigants.”