Sweeping Hack Exposes U.S. Federal Judiciary's Vulnerabilities
The U.S. federal judiciary's electronic case filing system was hacked, exposing sensitive court data in multiple states. The breach affected the case management system and PACER, both of which manage and provide access to court documents. Efforts to modernize aging systems have lagged, increasing vulnerability.
A significant breach in the United States federal judiciary's electronic case filing system has been uncovered, potentially exposing sensitive court data across various states. According to Politico, the incident has compromised the judiciary's federal case management system, a critical tool for legal professionals.
This breach impacted both the Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) and Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER), which are essential for uploading, managing, and accessing case documents. Neither the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts nor the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency responded immediately to requests for comment.
The judiciary's systems house sensitive information like sealed indictments and have been targets for foreign espionage in the past. Efforts to upgrade the outdated and vulnerable IT infrastructure have been insufficient, leaving it susceptible to cybersecurity threats, as noted by U.S. Circuit Judge Amy St. Eve in recent testimony.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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