The New York Times reports that investigators suspect Russia was involved in a major cyberattack on the U.S. federal court filing system. People briefed on the breach said the hackers targeted highly sensitive, sealed court records. These included documents tied to national security prosecutions and confidential sources.
The infiltration is believed to have lasted several years. It has renewed fears about the vulnerability of the federal judiciary’s sprawling electronic records network. That system has long been seen as a prime target for foreign adversaries.
An internal Justice Department memo warned that “persistent and sophisticated cyber threat actors” had compromised sealed records. Officials have since removed the most sensitive files from the affected system.
The breach reportedly impacted at least eight district courts. Some targeted cases involved individuals with Russian and Eastern European connections.
Last month, chief judges nationwide were quietly ordered to take certain high-risk cases off the courts’ Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) system. That system is linked to the public PACER database.
In New York’s Eastern District, Chief Judge Margo K. Brodie directed sealed filings to be stored on a completely separate drive. It is entirely outside of PACER.
It is not yet clear if the hackers were directly tied to Russian intelligence. Former federal law enforcement officials told the Times that Russia was also behind a similar breach disclosed in 2021. That earlier incident forced prosecutors in sensitive cases to hand-deliver certain filings. Judges traveling abroad were even issued burner phones to protect communications.
Even after new security measures like multifactor authentication were adopted, intrusions have continued. In 2022, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) said three foreign entities had breached the network as far back as 2020.
The latest disclosure comes just days before President Donald Trump is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. They will discuss efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Federal investigators are now working to determine what information was stolen. They are also trying to find out if it is already in the hands of America’s adversaries.