US Reportedly Blames Kremlin for Major Breach Affecting Court Management System
Russia has been accused of being responsible for a recent federal court filing system breach that exposed sensitive court data just days before U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to meet with President Vladimir Putin in Alaska Friday.
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The Department of Justice was informed by court system administrators that “persistent and sophisticated cyberthreat actors have recently compromised sealed records,” according to a department memo obtained by the New York Times. The memo called the incident an “urgent matter that requires immediate action” after earlier reporting indicated the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts realized the severity of the breach around July 4.
The federal judiciary said Thursday that it was taking new steps to protect sensitive case documents following the recent sophisticated and persistent cyberattacks on its case management system. The announcement also said officials were working to improve system security to block future attacks while coordinating with courts nationwide to limit the impact on litigants.
According to the New York Times, federal officials told at least eight chief judges of U.S. district courts to move any case information tied to criminal activity with an overseas link off the regular document-management system. Some courts have barred the transmission of sealed documents to platforms that host public court dockets, including in New York where Eastern District Chief Judge Margo Brodie ordered sensitive files to be stored on a separate drive.
It remains unclear what documents may have been accessed and whether there are potential national security issues associated with the release or exploit of those filings, including source information and data on national security crimes. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, DOJ and FBI did not immediately return requests for comment.