Russian hackers involved in large-scale breach of US judicial system — media

The American judicial system has been hit by a massive cyberattack that, according to The New York Times, is being blamed on the Russian government. The newspaper's sources claim that Russia is "at least partially responsible" for the hack of the PACER system, a database that stores court case files.

According to journalists, the hackers targeted "medium-scale criminal cases" in New York and several other regions of the United States. They paid particular attention to cases involving people with Russian and Eastern European surnames.

As Politico reported, the hack may have allowed attackers to access the identities of confidential informants who assist law enforcement, putting them at risk of retaliation from criminals.

The stolen materials likely include sealed criminal files, indictments, arrest warrants, and other documents that have not yet been released or were not intended for public access at all.

The U.S. Administrative Office of the Courts has officially confirmed the cyberattack. An internal letter to the Justice Department, judges, and court staff said that "resilient and sophisticated cybercriminals" had hacked into protected records.

Incidentally, this is not the first time Russian hackers have attacked American judicial structures. In 2020, they hacked SolarWinds software used by government agencies and large companies, gaining covert access to client networks, including PACER.

Currently, the American judicial system is strengthening cyber defenses and implementing additional security measures to prevent new attacks.