Personal information belonging to around 1.3 million people was copied during a cyberattack on Arizona's court system after a court employee allegedly clicked a malicious link in an email.
The attack exposed data connected to people with unpaid court fees, fines and restitution payments for traffic and criminal violations dating back as far as 30 years, according to the Arizona Supreme Court. The breach also involved highly sensitive court and foster care records.
What Happened in the Arizona Court Cyberattack?
The cyberattack was discovered on 24 September after attackers copied information from a backup server within Arizona's court system, the Associated Press reported.
Court technology staff detected the activity and shut down the attack about two hours after discovering it. The Arizona Supreme Court said the incident remains under investigation and has been notifying people whose information was believed to have been copied. The court has not said who was behind the attack.
State Supreme Court spokesperson Alberto Rodriguez said there was no evidence that the stolen information had been used or shared following the attack.
What Data Was Exposed?
The largest portion of the compromised information involved approximately 1.3 million people connected to the court's Fines/Fees and Restitution Enforcement Programme.
The records relate to unpaid court fees, fines and restitution payments involving traffic and criminal violations. Some of the information dates back three decades.
Attackers also copied records involving nearly 30,000 active and inactive orders of protection.
Another 150,000 reports from Arizona's Foster Care Review Board were also affected. Those records date back to 2010 and involve cases in which parents were alleged to be unable or unfit to care for a child.
'As soon as I learned about this outrageous criminal attack on Arizona's Courts, I immediately called our team together to formulate a response,' Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Ann Scott Timmer said.
No Court Records Were Altered or Deleted
Despite the scale of the breach, the Arizona Supreme Court said the attackers did not alter or delete court records. Information relating to jurors, witnesses and court employees was also not stolen, according to the court.
The cyberattack has not affected or delayed court proceedings, officials said. The court has nevertheless been contacting people whose information may have been copied during the incident.
Investigation Into Arizona Court Hack Continues
The attack remains under investigation, and officials have not publicly identified the attackers or explained whether the stolen information was targeted for a specific purpose.
The Arizona Supreme Court has advised affected individuals that it is continuing to assess the breach and notify those whose information was compromised. Court operations remain unaffected as the investigation continues.
