BAE Systems cyberattack disrupts federal bankruptcy court notice systems
A cyberattack on contractor BAE Systems has disabled the notice distribution system used by US federal bankruptcy courts, halting operations.
Key points
- The Administrative Office of the US Courts confirmed the outage affects BAE-operated bankruptcy notice systems.
- Access to multiple court-related websites, including bnc.uscourts.gov, is currently unavailable to users.
- BAE Systems is actively investigating the incident and coordinating with the Judiciary to restore services.
A cyberattack targeting government contractor BAE Systems has disrupted critical operations for US federal bankruptcy courts. The Administrative Office of the US Courts confirmed in a Thursday press release that the incident has halted the production and distribution of bankruptcy notices, leaving key systems offline.
The outage prevents access to all BAE-operated systems and websites on behalf of the Judiciary. Affected services include bnc.uscourts.gov, bankruptcynotices.uscourts.gov, notices.uscourts.gov, and the National Creditor Registration Service. The Administrative Office stated it is coordinating with BAE Systems and impacted courts while the contractor investigates the breach.
Context and Background
BAE Systems is a major provider of enterprise IT, cloud infrastructure, and cybersecurity services to military and civilian government agencies. As Europe's largest defense contractor, it designs military technology for UK and US defense departments. Spokespersons for both the US Courts and BAE Systems were not immediately available for comment when BleepingComputer sought details on the attack's scope or origin earlier today.
The US Federal Judiciary previously announced efforts to strengthen cybersecurity defenses after a separate attack impacted its electronic case management systems last year. The agency stated it was implementing stricter access controls to protect sealed filings containing sensitive information. These measures were designed to block attackers following escalated cyberattacks of a sophisticated and persistent nature.
Who Is Affected
While the Administrative Office did not confirm a breach of confidential documents in this specific incident, previous reports highlighted vulnerabilities in court systems. A Politico report last year indicated hackers had breached CM/ECF electronic case management systems and the PACER platform. That earlier incident allegedly resulted in access to sensitive data, including the identities of confidential informants, though the Judiciary stopped short of confirming such a breach at the time.
What should you do?
Security professionals and legal practitioners relying on federal court notices should monitor official channels for updates on system restoration. Users should verify the status of the National Creditor Registration Service before attempting to submit filings. Organizations should review their own incident response plans to ensure they can handle extended outages of critical third-party government services.
What to do and how to stay safe: BAE Systems
- Monitor official communications from the Administrative Office of the US Courts for updates on system restoration timelines.
- Verify the operational status of specific bankruptcy notice websites before attempting to access or submit legal documents.
- Review internal contingency plans for handling delays in receiving critical legal notices from federal court systems.
- Ensure that contact information for creditors and legal representatives is up to date to facilitate manual notifications if digital systems remain offline.
Step-by-step guide: How to Remove Data from Data Brokers: The Manual Cleanup Process
General security guidance from the Threat Times newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.
Frequently asked questions
Which specific websites are affected by the BAE Systems cyberattack?
Affected sites include bnc.uscourts.gov, bankruptcynotices.uscourts.gov, notices.uscourts.gov, and the National Creditor Registration Service.
Has the US Courts confirmed that sensitive data was stolen in this attack?
The Administrative Office of the US Courts has not confirmed a breach of confidential documents in this specific incident.
What is BAE Systems' role in the US federal court system?
BAE Systems operates enterprise IT and cybersecurity services for the Judiciary, including the bankruptcy noticing process systems.
