Arizona Supreme Court reports data breach, personal information of residents stolen

Data Breach Confirmed

The Arizona Supreme Court confirmed on Friday that its court system experienced a cyberattack. Chief Justice Ann Scott Timmer stated that criminal hackers or their bots targeted the system, leading to the compromise of personally identifiable information belonging to numerous Arizona residents.

Investigation and Response

The Administrative Office of the Courts is in the process of notifying individuals whose information is believed to have been copied. The court system spokesperson confirmed that the incident did not involve ransomware, and no ransom demands have been issued for the stolen data. Further details about the attack are being withheld to avoid impacting the ongoing investigation, which includes collaboration with the FBI.

Context of Court System Attacks

This incident is part of a broader trend of cyberattacks targeting court systems due to the sensitive personal and law enforcement data they hold. Previous incidents include a ransomware attack on Kansas' court systems in 2023 and breaches in California, Nebraska, South Carolina, Florida, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois over the last four years. In November, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General and a Georgia organization managing real estate and civil court filings also faced ransomware attacks.