The Wisconsin court system’s computer network has been targeted in a cyberattack, court officials confirmed on Thursday. The attack began early in the week and caused intermittent service and slower than usual response times for network users.
While the court officials did not provide any details on the nature of the attack or its source, they advised attorneys or self-represented litigants who experience difficulty filing documents electronically to contact the clerk of court in their respective counties.
The court officials did not disclose the specific impact of the cyberattack, such as which parts of the court system were affected, but noted that the attack had not resulted in the breach of any data. The director of state courts, Randy Koschnick, assured that the court system had implemented effective countermeasures to tackle the attack but did not provide any specifics on the countermeasures. State Supreme Court Chief Justice Annette Ziegler stated that the court operations were continuing as usual statewide.
The Wisconsin court system is not the first in the United States to have fallen victim to a cyberattack.
Earlier in 2021, the computer network of the federal court system in the United States was hacked by Russian attackers.
Cyberattacks on court systems are a cause for concern as they can have severe implications on the justice system, which relies on the integrity and confidentiality of court records and case files.
