November 6, 2024 at 12:29PM
Washington state court systems have been down since Sunday due to unauthorized network activity. The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) is working to secure and restore functions. Limited services are available in some courts, while essential proceedings continue with minimal disruption. Service modifications will be in effect throughout the week.
**Meeting Notes Takeaways:**
1. **System Outage**: Washington state court systems have been down since Sunday due to unauthorized activity detected in their networks.
2. **Scope of Impact**: The outage affects all state courts’ judicial information systems, websites, and associated services.
3. **Response Actions**: The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) responded promptly by securing critical court systems and is actively working to restore services.
4. **Statements from Officials**: AOC associate director Wendy Ferrell emphasized the proactive measures taken to secure systems and ensure rapid restoration efforts.
5. **Limited Operations**: Some municipal and district courts, such as those in Bainbridge Island, Monroe, Puyallup, Milton, and Thurston County, are operating with limited services.
6. **Pierce County Status**: The Pierce County Superior Court Clerk’s Office reports limited service interruptions but maintains some online access, and essential court functions and proceedings are expected to continue with minimal disruption.
7. **Customer Service Availability**: Customer service counters remain open, but visitors should call ahead to confirm service availability.
8. **Service Modifications**: Modifications to services in Pierce County will be in effect throughout the week, affecting access to balance information on judgments/fines and electronic court record searches.
9. **Past Incident Reference**: A historical comparison was made to a cyberattack on the Kansas Courts Authority in October 2022, highlighting risks associated with network breaches.
10. **Ongoing Monitoring**: The situation is still evolving, and court officials are working diligently to maintain essential services while ensuring the integrity of court records and systems.