Security News > 2021 > January > US Judiciary adds safeguards after potential breach in SolarWinds hack
The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts is investigating a potential compromise of the federal courts' case management and electronic case files system which stores millions of highly sensitive and confidential judiciary records.
US Judiciary is also working on immediately adding extra safeguards and security procedures to protect the highly sensitive court documents filed with the courts.
"The AO is working with the Department of Homeland Security on a security audit relating to vulnerabilities in the Judiciary's Case Management/Electronic Case Files system that greatly risk compromising highly sensitive non-public documents stored on CM/ECF, particularly sealed filings," the Judiciary said.
Newly filed confidential documents will only be stored on a "Secure stand-alone computer system" and will not be uploaded to CM/ECF. The newly enacted safeguards following the start of this ongoing investigation are designed to guard the public trust and the integrity of the operation and administration of the federal Judiciary's courts.
The federal agencies also added that only 10 US government agencies have been targeted in additional hacking activity after the initial breach.
"We fully appreciate the practical implications of taking these steps and the administrative burden they will place on courts, yet any such burdens are outweighed by the need to preserve the confidentiality of sealed filings that are at risk of compromise," James C. Duff, Secretary of the US Judicial Conference said.