“Unauthorized Activity” Detected on Washington Court Network, Website Down

The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) in Washington state reported detecting “unauthorized activity” within the judiciary network, leading to temporary disruptions in the operations of courts in King, Pierce, Lewis, and Whatcom counties, as well as several municipal courts.

AOC representatives assured that all necessary measures are being taken to safeguard the systems and restore their functionality. However, access to the public website and other systems remains unstable.

While there is no official confirmation that this is a ransomware attack, the AOC website has been inaccessible for several days. The AOC declined to comment further, stating only that there is currently no reason to believe this was a targeted assault.

Some courts, such as the Pierce County Superior Court, reported minimal impact on their operations. Nevertheless, significant disruptions have occurred in electronic document management and telephony systems at several other institutions, complicating the payment of fines. Thurston County Court announced that hearings on misdemeanor cases would be rescheduled, with participants to be notified of new dates.

This incident comes just days after a similar cyberattack in California, where attackers crippled digital services at San Joaquin County Court. Over the past year, courts in Pennsylvania, Florida, Texas, and other states have also been targeted, resulting in data breaches and extortion.

Washington state has faced repeated cyberattacks in 2024, including incidents targeting a major school district, the transportation department, and Seattle’s airport.