(MSC News)--New details come to light regarding the security incident that shut down the information systems used by the Kansas Courts.
On Tuesday, the seven justices of the Kansas Supreme Court released a joint statement regarding the incident, which the statement says was caused by cybercriminals who also stole data, threatening to post it to the dark web if their unspecified demands were not met. The statement notes that the state is "working with cybersecurity experts to identify the data quickly and securely so we can conduct a comprehensive review to determine the full scope of what personal information the cybercriminals may have stolen," with a preliminary review indicating that " it appears the stolen information includes Office of Judicial Administration files, district court case records on appeal, and other data, some of which may be confidential under law." The statement continues by saying that a full review of what was stolen is "a high priority" that will take time.
The statement calls the October 12 attack "evil and criminal," adding that the crime was perpetrated through "a sophisticated and foreign cyberattack," which has affected daily operations of the state's appellate courts and district courts in 104 Kansas counties.
The state is working with cybersecurity experts to guard against future attacks, with the statement saying it will likely take several weeks "to return safely to normal operations, including electronic filing."
Two service centers recently opened in Topeka to allow public and professional access to the Kansas Courts as the online system remains offline.
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