Gavel (Courtesy photo)

State court system offline after cybersecurity incident

No ransom message received.

JUNEAU — The chief justice of the Alaska Supreme Court on Thursday said the court system did not receive a ransom demand or any direct message from those involved in a cybersecurity attack last week that resulted in the system disconnecting its online services.

“So we feel fortunate that we caught this attack at an early stage,” Chief Justice Joel Bolger told The Associated Press in an interview.

The court system, in a news release Saturday, said it had disconnected online services to remove malware from its servers and was working with a cybersecurity company to respond to the incident and prevent “any further system breaches.”

Services remained offline Thursday.

The disruption has affected the public’s ability to email court email addresses, including for filing documents; view cases online; or participate in hearings via videoconference, according to the court system.

Bolger said it was unclear when services would be back online but said it “probably will be several days” and that an announcement would be made when online services are set to resume.

[Over 100K voter IDs exposed in data breach]

He said court hearings and trials were taking place but if they were scheduled for a videoconference, for example, they were moving to teleconference or in-person proceedings.

“As far as I know, the courts are scrambling a bit but they’re trying to just continue with business as they can do it without the internet,” he said.

Bolger said the motive behind the attack was unclear. He said it was first detected April 29, when there were indications that there was “someone who was attacking our system and trying to assert control.”

He declined to go into detail, citing an ongoing review, but said it was enough to concern the technology department and prompt it to engage a security contractor.

“No personal data was stolen or compromised as far as we know,” Bolger said.

He said relevant state and federal agencies have been notified of the incident.

The Alaska Supreme Court extended until Tuesday deadlines for filings and for fines payable through the court system that were due between May 3 and May 10 unless a judge or court overseeing a matter sets an earlier deadline.

The Supreme Court, in a recent order, also said Bolger could “relax and suspend court rules as necessary to respond to these circumstances.”

Bolger said he was sorry this was “causing a temporary inconvenience for the public but that we will not connect to the internet again until we can be assured that it’s safe to do so.”

More in News

(Juneau Empire file photo)
Aurora forecast through the week of Dec. 15

These forecasts are courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute… Continue reading

Lightering boats return to their ships in Eastern Channel in Sitka on June 7, 2022. (James Poulson/Sitka Sentinel)
Sitka OKs another cruise ship petition for signature drive

Group seeks 300K annual and 4,500 daily visitor limits, and one or more days with no large ships.

The Wrangell shoreline with about two dozen buildings visible, including a Russian Orthodox church, before the U.S. Army bombardment in 1869. (Alaska State Library, U.S. Army Infantry Brigade photo collection)
Army will issue January apology for 1869 bombardment of Wrangell

Ceremony will be the third by military to Southeast Alaska communities in recent months.

Juneau Board of Education members vote during an online meeting Tuesday to extend a free student breakfast program during the second half of the school year. (Screenshot from Juneau Board of Education meeting on Zoom)
Extending free student breakfast program until end of school year OK’d by school board

Officials express concern about continuing program in future years without community funding.

Juneau City Manager Katie Koester (left) and Mayor Beth Weldon (right) meet with residents affected by glacial outburst flooding during a break in a Juneau Assembly meeting Monday night at City Hall. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Juneau’s mayor gets an award, city manager gets a raise

Beth Weldon gets lifetime Alaska Municipal League honor; Katie Koester gets bonus, retroactive pay hike.

Dozens of residents pack into a Juneau Assembly meeting at City Hall on Monday night, where a proposal that would require property owners in flood-vulnerable areas to pay thousands of dollars apiece for the installation of protective flood barriers was discussed. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Assembly OKs lowering flood barrier payment for property owners to about $6,300 rather than $8,000

Amended ordinance makes city pay higher end of 60/40 split, rather than even share.

A family ice skates and perfects their hockey prowess on Mendenhall Lake, below Mendenhall Glacier, outside of Juneau, Alaska, Nov. 24, 2024. The state’s capital, a popular cruise port in summer, becomes a bargain-seeker’s base for skiing, skating, hiking and glacier-gazing in the winter off-season. (Christopher S. Miller/The New York Times)
NY Times: Juneau becomes a deal-seeker’s base for skiing, skating, hiking and glacier-gazing in winter

Newspaper’s “Frugal Traveler” columnist writes about winter side of summer cruise destination.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy (left) talks with U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski and local leaders during an Aug. 7 visit to a Mendenhall Valley neighborhood hit by record flooding. (Photo provided by U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s office)
Dunleavy to Trump: Give us Mendenhall Lake; nix feds’ control of statewide land, wildlife, tribal issues

Governor asks president-elect for Alaska-specific executive order on dozens of policy actions.

Most Read