Los Angeles County Superior Court

History

2024: Shutdown due to ransomware virus attack

On July 21, 2024, the Los Angeles County Superior Court reported a total shutdown. The reason was a large-scale attack by a ransomware virus that hit various computer systems.

It is said that as a result of the hacker invasion, all the main IT resources of the court suffered - from external services such as the MyJuryDuty portal and the official website, to internal services, including the case management platform. Due to the introduction of the ransomware virus, all hearings held remotely were postponed, and all 36 county courthouse buildings had to be closed.

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JJ MERELO/FLICKR

The Supreme Court faced an unprecedented cyberattack, as a result of which it was necessary to disable almost all network systems in order to minimize damage, maintain the integrity and confidentiality of information, the notice said.

Specialists are engaged in restoration work, interacting with third-party consultants, service providers and law enforcement agencies. The situation is aggravated by the fact that many critical systems have been affected, including all Internet-connected services and telephone services. As of July 22, 2024, there is no information about which ransomware group is behind the attack and how much ransom the attackers demanded. The preliminary investigation did not reveal signs of theft of personal information. Information security experts are working to restore servers and databases.

The attack could result in serious damage as the Los Angeles County Superior Court is the largest trial court in the United States. It employs almost 5 thousand employees; hundreds of courtrooms operate. The court serves approximately 10 million citizens. In 2022, about 1.2 million cases were initiated and approximately 2,200 jury trials were held.^[1]

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