HACKERS accessed Arizona courts’ systems after a phishing email containing a malicious link was clicked by a court employee, leading to the copying of backup files that contained records related to protective orders and foster care cases. The breach was disclosed by the Arizona Supreme Court, which said there is no current evidence that information about jurors, witnesses, or court employees was taken, and that the investigation is ongoing with the FBI. No ransomware group has publicly claimed responsibility.
The court later disclosed that attackers copied more than 150,000 Foster Care Review Board recommendation reports, dating back to 2010, which can include details about children, involved parties, case materials, findings, and recommendations to courts and the Arizona Department of Child Safety. The reports do not appear to contain addresses or telephone numbers. The copied files were backups stored in a highly compressed format for recovery after incidents.
Although the court has not confirmed data exfiltration to the public or sale, investigators will continue monitoring for misuse. Around 8,000 children are currently in foster care in Arizona, and the court is contacting those believed to be affected. The article notes significant safety and privacy concerns for protective-order records, which can combine information that might expose victims to risk if misused.
The guidance emphasises following the court’s dedicated cyber security alert page for updates and taking steps to verify communications and monitor for potential identity or fraud risks.