As a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin approaches, President
Trump downplayed a serious cyberattack targeting the U.S. federal court filing
system. Responding to questions during a press briefing, he shrugged off the
breach, remarking, “Are you surprised? They hack in, that’s what they do.
They’re good at it. We’re good at it. We’re actually better at it.” This marks
his first public comment on the matter.
Investigators suspect that Russian-linked hackers infiltrated the
judiciary’s electronic systems—including CM/ECF and PACER—potentially exposing
sensitive legal documents across multiple states. Officials fear that dangerous
criminal groups such as drug cartels could have accessed witness information
tied to ongoing trials.
In response to the breach, court administrators have accelerated cybersecurity measures, including tighter access controls. Meanwhile, lawmakers have criticized the judiciary for failing to address known vulnerabilities in these critical systems.
