A significant cyber breach targeted the court recordings database within Victoria state, Australia, causing disruption to the audio-visual technology network utilized in court proceedings, an official confirmed on Tuesday.
According to Louise Anderson, CEO of Court Services Victoria, the cyber intrusion potentially compromised recordings of court hearings spanning from November 1 to December 21, 2023. There’s a possibility that some hearings prior to November 1 may also have been impacted by the breach, Reuters news report said.
“The potential access is limited to recordings stored on the network. No other court systems or records, including employee or financial data, were breached,” Louise Anderson said in a news statement.
In response to the breach, proceedings scheduled for January will continue after isolating and disabling the affected network. Court authorities are actively collaborating with government cybersecurity experts to address the situation. However, Court Services Victoria refrained from disclosing any information regarding ransomware demands, if any were made.
A government report released in November 2023 highlighted an escalated assault by state-sponsored cyber groups and hackers targeting critical infrastructure, businesses, and residences in Australia, with an attack occurring approximately every six minutes, Reuters news report said.
CSV has established a Contact Centre with dedicated staff which is available to those seeking further information or assistance. This includes support from IDCARE, Australia’s national identity and cyber support community service. The Centre can be contacted from today via telephone or email:
Call: 03 9087 6116
Email: CSVData@courts.vic.gov.au
“We are working with the cyber security experts in the Victorian Department of Government Services. All relevant authorities have been notified of the incident and are assisting with the investigation and response,” Victoria State Court said.
The 2022-23 Court Services Victoria Annual Report says it made investment in the delivery of future focused, people-centric technology and solutions, including digital wayfinding at Bendigo Law Courts, an online caseload dashboard and the first stage of the Case Management System Portal, in order to improve community access to justice.
This recent cyber intrusion into the court database follows a hack late last year at DP World Australia, a major ports operator in the country, which led to a three-day suspension of its operations. Additionally, just last week, Eagers Automotive, a car dealership group, reported a cyber incident impacting its IT systems.
