Wisconsin Court System

Summary

The Wisconsin court system experienced a distributed denial-of-service attack that temporarily slowed its network and caused intermittent service disruptions, particularly affecting online public services and court operations. Countermeasures prevented any data breaches, and normal functions continued statewide, though attorneys and litigants encountering filing issues were directed to contact court clerks for assistance. Officials emphasized system integrity was maintained and credited prompt response efforts for mitigating the incident.

Motives

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TTPs

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Description

On or around March 23, 2023, the Wisconsin state court system experienced a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack targeting its computer network. Director of State Courts Randy Koschnick confirmed countermeasures were implemented to mitigate the attack's effects. While court operations continued statewide without data breaches, some network users, including the general public, reported temporary intermittent service disruptions and slower-than-usual response times for online services earlier that week. Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Annette Kingsland Ziegler emphasized the integrity of court records remained uncompromised, acknowledging the Consolidated Court Automation Programs (CCAP), state agencies, and law enforcement for their rapid response. Affected attorneys and litigants encountering document filing issues were advised to contact circuit court clerks or county courts for resolution. The court's spokesperson did not address inquiries regarding potential perpetrators or federal law enforcement involvement in the investigation.

This incident occurred amid a pattern of cyberattacks targeting U.S. court systems in recent years. One month prior, Florida’s Supreme Court faced disruptions from the ESXiArgs ransomware exploiting a VMware ESXi server vulnerability. In December 2022, LockBit ransomware struck Mount Vernon, Ohio's municipal court, followed by another attack in Circleville, Ohio. A 2021 ransomware breach at the Illinois Office of the Attorney General exposed extensive court documents. Separately, the U.S. Justice Department investigated a 2020 breach of the federal courts docketing system. Russian hackers compromised the federal judiciary’s electronic filing system during the 2020 SolarWinds incident, accessing sensitive documents related to whistleblower cases, warrants, trade secrets, and espionage, as reported by The Associated Press. Wisconsin’s attack underscored persistent threats to judicial infrastructure nationwide.

Sources

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