SYDNEY: Hackers accessed the court recordings database in Australia’s Victoria state and disrupted the audio-visual in-court technology network, impacting recordings and transcription services, according to an official.
The breach, which occurred between November 1 and December 21, 2023, may have resulted in the theft of recordings for some court hearings. CEO Louise Anderson of Court Services Victoria stated that the potential access was limited to recordings stored on the network, and no other court systems or records, including employee or financial data, were compromised.
Anderson further said that the affected network had been isolated and disabled, allowing hearings in January to proceed as planned. Court officials are collaborating with government cybersecurity experts, and at this point, it has not been revealed whether any ransomware demands were made. The incident follows a pattern of heightened cyber threats to Australia’s critical infrastructure, businesses, and residences, as highlighted in a government report from November 2023, indicating an average of one attack every six minutes.
This cyber intrusion at the court database comes in the wake of a previous hack at DP World Australia, a major ports operator, which resulted in a three-day suspension of operations. Additionally, Eagers Automotive, a car dealership group, recently reported a cyber incident affecting its IT systems.
