Washington State’s court systems are grappling with widespread outages following unauthorized activity on the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) network. This disruption affected court operations in multiple counties, impacting electronic filing, fine payments, and some communication systems.
Courts in Pierce, Thurston, and King counties have been affected to varying degrees. While some courts have maintained essential services, they’ve restricted public access to certain records and filings. Washington courts acted swiftly to protect their systems, taking them offline to prevent further risk.
Officials are implementing security and restoration efforts around the clock, prioritizing a cautious, step-by-step approach to system recovery.
This incident is the latest in a string of 2024 cyber challenges for Washington, which has seen attacks on other key institutions, including a major school district, the Department of Transportation, and the Port of Seattle. Although officials haven’t confirmed if this is ransomware-related, these recent attacks on public institutions in the state frequently involve ransomware gangs.
Why It Matters: The breach of Washington state’s court network not only disrupts judicial services but once again highlights the broader vulnerability of public sector institutions to cyberattacks, particularly ransomware, which has become a major threat to state and local governments nationwide. As cybercriminals increasingly target government agencies, the potential for critical service interruptions, compromised data, and long-term disruptions grows, affecting citizens’ access to essential services.
- Scope of the Outage: The network disruption affects multiple counties, including King, Pierce, and Thurston, with municipal courts in cities like Bainbridge and Monroe also impacted. Electronic filings, fine payment systems, and some communication tools are down or operating intermittently.
- Response and Restoration: The Washington AOC has engaged cybersecurity experts and is implementing restoration measures while securing compromised systems. According to AOC officials, systems were taken offline as a precaution, and they expect gradual service restoration over the coming days.
- Unclear Nature of the Attack: While the AOC has not confirmed the exact cause or nature of the attack, ransomware remains a possibility, given the ransomware incidents across Washington this year that have affected public services in schools, hospitals, and transportation.
- Broader Cybersecurity Trend: This incident reflects a trend seen across the U.S., with court systems in California, Florida, and Pennsylvania recently experiencing similar cyber incidents. The disruptions signal a need for improved security protocols in the judiciary and other state institutions.
Cyberattack Blamed for Statewide Washington Courts Outage – Security Week
Washington Courts’ Systems Offline Following Weekend Cyberattack – Bleeping Computer
