Australian Court Service hack could expose hearing and trial details

The Australian Court Service (CSV) disclosed that it fell victim to a cyberattack a day after the start of 2024. Based on reports, this hack could potentially expose recordings of the court that would be critical to the overall trial of relevant cases.

The cybercriminal incident allegedly occurred on December 21, 2023, and it took the CSV nearly 12 days to assess the extent of the breach and identify the affected recordings.

 

The Australian Court Service admitted that unauthorised access had disrupted their audio-visual in-court technology network.

 

According to the Australian Court Service, their investigation noticed that the cyberattack could have acquired video recordings, audio recordings, and transcription services.

CSV also stated that they have isolated and disabled the affected network. However, the Australian government sector acknowledges that the attack has accessed the recordings of hearings held between November 1 and December 21, 2023.

This incident includes cases heard in the Supreme Court of Victoria, the state’s highest court. Additionally, one concerning aspect of the breach is the potential compromise of recordings involving individuals whose identities are protected by court orders or legislation.

While the nature of the incident remains undisclosed, the CSV noted that they have yet to identify any leaked audio or recordings circulating online. All courts have executed arrangements to continue operations securely while the CSV works to restore the affected network.

Furthermore, the agency clarified that the hack did not compromise other court systems or records, including employee or financial data.

In response to the breach, the CSV has alerted relevant law enforcement agencies, including Victoria Police, about the attack. The agency is also notifying individuals whose hearings may have suffered unauthorised access and has established a dedicated Contact Centre to provide information and assistance to those affected.

The CSV is undertaking measures to upgrade the safety of the court and tribunal-wide technology environment to fortify its security.

The attack on the Australian legal system shows that these sophisticated cyberattacks could inflict a significant impact, especially on one of the most critical sectors of a country. Government agencies should invest more in upgrading security defences to avoid falling victim to such attacks.