Hackers hit Australian state's court recording database

 In a recent cybersecurity incident, hackers successfully breached the court recordings database in Victoria, Australia, causing disruptions to the audio-visual in-court technology network. Court Services Victoria CEO, Louise Anderson, reported on Tuesday that the breach had impacted recordings and transcription services, potentially leading to the theft of recordings from court hearings held between November 1 and December 21, 2023. There is also a possibility of some impact on hearings before November 1.

Anderson assured that the breach was confined to the recordings stored on the network, emphasizing that no other court systems or records, including employee or financial data, were accessed. The affected network has been isolated and disabled, and the court officials are collaborating closely with government cybersecurity experts to address the situation. As of now, it is undisclosed whether any ransomware demands were made in connection with the breach.

To mitigate the impact of the cyber intrusion, hearings scheduled for January are expected to proceed after isolating and disabling the affected network. This incident follows a broader trend of state-sponsored cyber groups and hackers intensifying their attacks on critical infrastructure, businesses, and homes in Australia, as revealed in a government report from November 2023. The report highlighted a concerning frequency of cyber attacks, occurring at a rate of one every six minutes.

This breach at the court database is another addition to a series of cyber incidents in Australia, including a recent attack on DP World Australia, a major ports operator, which resulted in a three-day suspension of operations. Additionally, last week, Eagers Automotive, a prominent car dealership group, disclosed a cyber incident that impacted its IT systems. These incidents underscore the growing threat landscape and the need for robust cybersecurity measures across various sectors in the country.