Arizona court system cyberattack exposes data of 1 million people

A cyberattack on the Arizona court system has resulted in the theft of personal information belonging to more than one million people. The breach is believed to have originated when a court employee clicked a malicious link in an email.

According to the Arizona Supreme Court, the stolen data includes information for approximately 1.3 million individuals with unpaid court fees, fines, and restitution payments dating back 30 years. The attackers also accessed nearly 30,000 active and inactive orders of protection, as well as 150,000 reports from a foster care board containing names of children and board recommendations.

Chief Justice Ann Timmer noted that while the stolen data from the FARE system and protection orders may require decoding, there is a possibility the information could be shared on the dark web. The Arizona Judicial Branch and the FBI are currently investigating the incident. While the breach is significant, officials stated that no court cases have been delayed and no records were altered or deleted. Information regarding jurors, witnesses, and court employees was not stolen.