Cyberattack on Arizona court exposes data of 1.3 million people
What's the story
A cyberattack on the Arizona court system has compromised the personal information of 1.3 million people. The breach is believed to have originated when a court employee inadvertently clicked on a malicious link in an email. The stolen data includes details of individuals with unpaid traffic and criminal fines, fees, and restitution payments dating back as far as three decades.
Data theft
Other sensitive data compromised in the cyberattack
Along with the financial information, the cyberattack also compromised other sensitive data.
This includes nearly 30,000 active and inactive orders of protection as well as 150,000 reports from a foster care board.
The latter is particularly concerning as it deals with cases where parents are alleged to be unfit or unable to care for their children.
Response measures
Attack detected on September 24
The cyberattack was detected on September 24, and the court's technology staff managed to contain it on a backup server within two hours.
Since then, the court has been notifying those affected by this data breach.
The cyberattack is still being investigated but has not affected or delayed any ongoing court cases.
A court spokesperson confirmed that no records were altered or deleted in the breach and that information about jurors, witnesses, or court employees was not stolen.