Hackers ransom court records

An Oct. 12 security breach of a statewide court information system was a foreign cyberattack, the state supreme court said in a release Tuesday.

The attack prevented attorneys and court officials from accessing or filing documents electronically and journalists from providing normal news coverage of court cases.

“The cybercriminals also stole data and threatened to post it to a dark web site if their demands were not met,” the statement says.

The statement says the state is still trying to determine what personal information the cybercriminals may have stolen.

It appears that Office of Judicial Administration files, records of district court cases on appeal, and other data, some of which may be confidential, may have been taken.

“A full review of what may have been stolen is a high priority to us but it will take time,” the statement says. “Once this review is complete, we will notify those affected.

“Cyberattacks on government entities are rampant.”

Normal operations of court records systems are unlikely to resume for several weeks.

County district court clerk Jan Helmer said she had not been told when the online system would be operational again.