The website of the Pennsylvania Courts system has been affected by a cyber-attack, resulting in disruptions to its functionality.
The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts announced on social media that the service had been targeted by a denial of service (DoS) attack.
According to the statement, the incident affected court web systems such as PACFile, online docket sheets, and the Guardianship Tracking System.
Currently, certain sections of the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System’s website are still inaccessible. Instead, an error message appears on several pages, stating:“An error occurred while processing your request. Reference #97.37af3817.1707134897.171556af.”
No data has been compromised thus far, and Pennsylvania courts will continue to operate and welcome visitors.
According to Chief Justice of Pennsylvania, Debra Todd, our court’s technology and executive personnel are collaborating with law enforcement agencies such as CISA, the Department of Homeland Security, and the FBI to look into the matter.
Pennsylvania Courts stated that additional information will be provided as it becomes available.
The state court system of Pennsylvania, also known as the Unified Judicial System, oversees the administration and operations of the Commonwealth’s judiciary. This responsibility includes managing IT systems and maintaining case data.
On January 2, cyber-criminals targeted the court system in Victoria, Australia. As a result, there is a possibility that recordings of hearings were accessed, including those involving individuals with protected identities.
In September 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) uncovered suspicious activity within its IT system. Subsequently, it confirmed that the incident was a meticulously planned espionage effort.
