Federal court cyberattacks have forced the U.S. judiciary to tighten protections around its electronic case‐filing system after what officials called a wave of “sophisticated and persistent” intrusions.
The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts confirmed the breaches on Thursday and said new controls are being installed to shield sealed documents and deter further hacks.
The agency stressed that most filings on the Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) system remain public, but acknowledged that warrants, indictments, and other sealed material are prime targets for threat actors.
Courts are now routing access to such records through stricter, closely monitored channels.
Growing fallout from federal court cyberattacks
Details of the breaches emerged a day after Politico reported that hackers may have exposed sensitive court data across several states, including information that could identify confidential informants. The attacks hit the judiciary’s core platforms—CM/ECF, used by lawyers to upload filings, and PACER, which offers limited public access.
Officials have not disclosed who is behind the intrusions or exactly when they occurred. They did confirm that the assaults were sustained and technically advanced, prompting the swift rollout of additional defenses.
The Administrative Office said it is working with court IT teams nationwide to fortify login procedures, enhance monitoring tools, and restrict downloads of sealed files. Federal investigators are assessing the scope of the breach and whether criminal charges will follow.
