U.S. Court System Breach Linked to Russian Hackers, Reports Say
August 12, 2025
Russian hackers may be behind a recent cyberattack on PACER, the federal judiciary’s electronic filing system, according to a report from The New York Times. Citing anonymous officials, the paper said Russia was “at least in part responsible” for the breach, though it is unclear which branch of the government carried it out.
Investigators say the hackers probed criminal cases in New York City and other regions, with a particular interest in matters involving people with Russian or Eastern European surnames.
The incident, revealed last week by Politico, appears to have exposed highly sensitive data, including sealed indictments, arrest warrants, and the identities of confidential informants — information that is never made public and could put lives at risk.
On August 7, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts confirmed the attack, calling it the work of “persistent and sophisticated cyber threat actors.” In an internal memo, court officials urged immediate action to contain the damage and safeguard sealed records.
This is not the first time PACER has been targeted by Moscow-linked hackers. The 2020 SolarWinds espionage campaign, which compromised multiple U.S. government agencies, also provided Russian operatives with access to non-public federal court documents.
Court administrators say they are upgrading security and working with courts nationwide to reduce the impact on cases and protect affected individuals.
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