A cyberattack on Arizona's court system compromised personal information for 1.3 million people, believed to have started when a court employee clicked a malicious link in an email. Those 1.3 million were referred to the court's FARE debt collection program over unpaid fees, fines, and restitution for traffic and criminal violations going back 30 years. The copied records include names and Social Security numbers.
The attackers also took nearly 30,000 active and inactive orders of protection, along with 150,000 reports dating back to 2010 from the Foster Care Review Board, which advises in cases where parents are alleged to be unfit or unable to care for a child. They did not take information about jurors, witnesses, or court employees.
Court technology staff shut the attack down on a backup server about two hours after spotting it on September 24. No records were altered or deleted, and the court says the data came off a highly compressed backup, so how much of it can actually be read is unclear. The FBI is investigating.
The court has notified those affected by text and email and is urging them to freeze their credit. Anyone holding a protective order does not need to refile — the orders remain valid. Court spokesperson Alberto Rodriguez said there's no evidence the data has been used or shared, and that no court cases have been affected or delayed.
Source: SecurityWeek
