The U.S. federal judiciary's electronic case filing system has been compromised in a sweeping hack that is believed to have exposed sensitive court data in several states (article available here).
The case management system - which carries sensitive information such as sealed indictments and arrest warrants - has long been a magnet for foreign spies.
The hack, which has not been previously reported, is feared to have compromised the identities of confidential informants involved in criminal cases at multiple federal district courts.
It is not immediately clear how the hackers got in, but the incident is known to affect the judiciary’s federal core case management system, which includes two overlapping components: Case Management/Electronic Case Files, or CM/ECF, which legal professionals use to upload and manage case documents; and PACER, a system that gives the public limited access to the same data.
It is not immediately clear who is behind the hack, though nation-state-affiliated actors are widely suspected, the people said. Criminal organizations may also have been involved. The hack is the latest sign that the federal court filing system is struggling to keep pace with a rising wave of cybersecurity threats.
The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts later issued a statement about the cyberattack.