Russian Government Hackers Linked to US Federal Court Filing System Breach: Report
The Russian government is allegedly behind the recent data breach affecting the U.S. court filing system known as PACER, according to a report by The New York Times.
Citing anonymous sources, the newspaper stated that Russia "is at least in part responsible" for the cyberattack, without specifying which part of the Russian government is behind the hack. The hackers allegedly targeted midlevel criminal cases in the New York City area and several other jurisdictions, with some cases involving individuals with Russian and Eastern European surnames.
Last week, Politico reported that hackers had broken into the federal judiciary's electronic case filing system, potentially accessing the identities of confidential informants who are redacted and not publicly known. This has put those individuals at risk of retaliation from the criminals they are helping authorities apprehend.
Politico also reported that the stolen data could include sealed criminal dockets and indictments, arrest warrants, and other documents not yet public or may never be included in public dockets. The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts confirmed a cyberattack in a statement on August 7.
The New York Times quoted a memo sent to Justice Department officials, clerks, and chief judges by the court system's administrators, which stated that "persistent and sophisticated cyber threat actors have recently compromised sealed records." The email emphasized that this was an "URGENT MATTER" requiring immediate action.
This may not be Russia's first rodeo targeting the U.S. federal court system. In 2020, a long-running Russian cyberattack targeted the SolarWinds software used by large tech companies and government agencies to deliver a tainted software update allowing Russian government hackers backdoor access to the networks of SolarWinds customers.
The widespread hack affected several U.S. government departments, including PACER, allowing the theft of sealed court documents. The U.S. Courts stated that the agency was "enhancing security of the system and to block future attacks" and prioritizing working with courts to mitigate the impact on litigants.
Investigation Continues
The incident highlights the ongoing threat of cyberattacks against critical infrastructure and the need for robust cybersecurity measures. An investigation into the breach is ongoing, and it remains to be seen what specific information was accessed by the hackers.
In the meantime, the U.S. government has taken steps to address the issue, including enhancing security protocols and working with courts to mitigate the impact on litigants. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of cybersecurity awareness and the need for continued vigilance against cyber threats.
About the Authors
Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai is a Senior Writer at TechCrunch, covering hacking, cybersecurity, surveillance, and privacy. You can contact or verify outreach from Lorenzo by emailing lorenzo@techcrunch.com, via encrypted message at +1 917 257 1382 on Signal, and @lorenzofb on Keybase/Telegram.
Zack Whittaker is the security editor at TechCrunch. He can be reached via encrypted message at zackwhittaker.1337@signal.org or by email, and to verify outreach, at zack.whittaker@techcrunch.com.
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