Australian State Court Hit With Cyberattack, Court Recordings Accessed and Possibly Stolen

Hackers have reportedly gained unauthorized access to Australia's Victoria State Court, with over a month's worth of data now compromised, Reuters reports.

The Guardian adds that although the incident was first reported to Court Services Victoria (CSV) on December 21 of last year, it is thought that the network for audiovisual technologies was initially breached on November 1, 2023.

The report states that according to CSV's chief executive, Louise Anderson, for just over seven weeks, some sessions in the supreme, county, magistrates, and coroner's courts were illegally accessed via video and audio recordings.

The report also states that it is possible the attack could impact a tape from the children's court from October, which is subject to stringent regulations to safeguard kids' identities.

Reuters adds that despite over a month's worth of critical data being accessed, the chief executive clarified that the cyberattack remains isolated on the compromised network, with only the recordings kept on the network potentially accessed.

Anderson notes no access to any other court systems or documents, including personnel or financial information.

Cybersecurity Measures Taken

Immediate actions to remedy the cyberattack have already been made, as per a separate report, with the state court disabling and isolating the affected network and ensuring operations will continue across different courts.

Anderson stated that the state's government services department's cybersecurity specialists collaborated with CSV. She stated that all pertinent authorities have been made aware of the occurrence and are offering support for their inquiry and reaction. Ben Carroll, the acting premier of Victoria, stated that Victoria police and CSV were collaborating closely.

The Guardian adds that security throughout the whole technological system used by the courts and tribunals will be reinforced as part of the repair process.

Illegally accessed hearings during the cyberattack could reportedly be all criminal and civil hearings in the County Court; some committals in the Magistrates' Court; one hearing in the Children's Court in October; all hearings in the Coroners Court; the Supreme Court between December 1 and December 21; the Court of Appeal's criminal division, practice court, and two regional hearings in November.

Notifications will reportedly be sent to witnesses and other hearing participants whose names may have appeared on recordings, and a support contact center specifically for that purpose has been established.

Increased Cyberattacks within Australia

According to a government study published in November 2023, Reuters states that state-sponsored cyber organizations and hackers have increased their attacks on Australia's vital infrastructure, companies, and residences, with one attack occurring every six minutes.

A similar incident has also been previously reported, as just before the 2023 holiday season, a council's libraries were hit with a cyberattack that may have taken the personal information and credit card data of residents in some of Sydney's wealthiest neighborhoods.

The Woollahra Council, which oversees Sydney's eastern harborside neighborhoods of Double Bay and Point Piper, the former residence of Malcolm Turnbull, the prime minister, announced on December 15 of last year that it had become aware of a cyberattack on its systems.