Pennsylvania online court system hit by DDoS attack
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The Pennsylvania online court system has experienced a denial-of-service (DoS) cyberattack, as reported by Pennsylvania Chief Justice Debra Todd. The attack led to disruptions in the court's web services, rendering parts of their website inaccessible.
The IT team noticed unusual activity starting around 10 a.m. on Saturday 3rd of January and, upon investigation, determined it was a cyberattack. Measures were taken to secure the site, including locking down certain parts and blocking access from specific regions, countries, and entities.
Despite the attack, there has been no indication that court data was compromised. Court operations continue, although certain online services, such as online docket sheets,
PAePay, and the guardianship tracking system, are affected. The PAePay system, crucial for paying citations to avoid arrest warrants, and the guardianship tracking system, important for monitoring conservatorships, are currently not accessible online. Efforts are underway, with Verizon working on a virtual patch, to restore access, though the site was still experiencing issues at last report.
The court's IT team is collaborating with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the FBI to investigate the incident, although the motive behind the cyberattack remains unclear.
