Pennsylvania Courts website targeted in cyber-attack, disrupting online services

Pennsylvania’s court system faced disruption as its website encountered a cyber-attack, impacting various online services, the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts disclosed through social media. The attack, identified as a denial of service (DoS) incident, affected crucial court web systems, including PACFile, online docket sheets, and the Guardianship Tracking System.

Consequently, parts of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania’s website remained inaccessible at the time of reporting, displaying an error message citing reference code #97.37af3817.1707134897.171556af. Despite the disruption, there is no indication of data compromise, and Pennsylvania Courts assured that courts in the state will continue to operate normally, remaining open and accessible to the public.

Chief Justice of Pennsylvania, Debra Todd affirmed ongoing collaboration with law enforcement agencies, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the US Department of Homeland Security, and the FBI, to investigate the incident thoroughly.

Pennsylvania Courts pledged to release further details as they emerge. The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania, responsible for administering the state’s judicial system and managing its IT infrastructure, holds crucial case-related data.