KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas Supreme Court Tuesday blamed a “sophisticated foreign cyberattack” last month that took several key state and court systems offline - some of which remain inaccessible.
“This attack - on one of our three branches of government - was made against all Kansans,” the justices said in the statement.
In a statement signed by the seven members of the Kansas Supreme Court, justices said cybercriminals stole data from state systems and threatened to post it to a “dark web site if their demands were not met.”
Based on a preliminary review, justices believe stolen information included Office of Judicial Administration files, district court case records on appeal and other potentially confidential data. Officials say a deeper review continues but will take time.
“When we discovered the attack, we quickly disconnected our information systems from external access,” the justices wrote. “We notified state authorities, and since that time have benefited from the continued support provided by the governor’s office, legislative leadership and state and federal law enforcement.”
The justices say they are working to take steps to prevent similar attacks from happening in the future. Work also continues to bring affected systems back online, though they say that process could still take several weeks.
“This assault on the Kansas system of justice is evil and criminal,” the justices said. “Today, we express our deep sorrow that Kansans will suffer at the hands of these cybercriminals.”
No information about any possible criminal charges was immediately available. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said last month it was reviewing the attack along with federal partners.
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