PACER Hack Exposes Sensitive Data in Sweeping ‘Administrative Office of U.S. Courts’ Cyberattack
Published
- Court data exposed: A significant Public Access to Court Electronic Records system hack has targeted the U.S. federal court system.
- Escalated cyberattacks: The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts has acknowledged persistent intrusions affecting legal files.
- The dangers: Reports say sealed court documents and the identities of confidential informants may have been compromised.
A data breach impacted the federal judiciary’s Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF), where legal professionals upload case documents, and the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system, which provides limited public access to CM/ECF data, both central to day-to-day court operations.
Scope of the Cyberattack
While specific details remain under investigation and the full extent of the data breach is still unknown, it has reportedly affected multiple federal district courts across several states. The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts has acknowledged "some filings contain confidential or proprietary information that are sealed from public view.”
Among the compromised information may be the identities of confidential informants, critical to ongoing criminal investigations, according to Politico, which cites two people with knowledge of the matter.
One of the mentioned sources allegedly stated the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts first determined the gravity of the issue around July 4.
Sources suggest that state-sponsored hackers or organized cybercriminal groups may be responsible for the attack, reflecting the increasingly sophisticated nature of cybersecurity threats targeting critical infrastructure.
Risks Associated with the Breach
The compromised data may include highly sensitive and non-public court filings, such as sealed indictments and search warrants. Access to this information could lead to identity leaks, evidentiary tampering, and hampered law enforcement operations.
Cybersecurity Measures and Response
The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts noticed "escalated cyberattacks of a sophisticated and persistent nature" and is collaborating with other agencies to strengthen the systems' defenses.
Proposed countermeasures include deploying modernized IT infrastructure and implementing stronger protections, such as advanced encryption and proactive monitoring against future incursions.
Legal and cybersecurity leaders continue to call for the expedited replacement of the CM/ECF and PACER systems, deemed outdated and vulnerable to attacks, to fortify the judiciary against evolving cyber threats.
In December 2024, TechNadu reported on a U.S. Treasury breach via BeyondTrust’s remote support by Chinese state-sponsored actors, and last month, Iranian hackers MuddyWater targeted U.S. and other governments with DCHSpy.
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