“While specific details about the perpetrators of these attacks may vary, there is growing concern about government-sponsored cyberespionage campaigns targeting sensitive systems, including those within the US,” Plaggemier said. “While direct provision can be challenging, there are indications that suggest links to national actors, including those from China. However, strong evidence linking this attack to a specific state actor may require further investigation and analysis.”
John Hammond, chief security researcher at Huntress, a cybersecurity research and services provider, said national involvement is unlikely. “It is unlikely that there should be a large, forthcoming, coordinated, or massive trend in these attacks,” he said. “In fact, it makes a lot of sense that these are random, opportunistic hits. Cybercriminals tend to cast a wide net, and any vulnerable targets will be the first to fall. “
Sometimes court systems, according to some experts, may get caught up in the controversy of an incident or campaign unrelated to a threat. “While there are indeed examples of fearsome actors targeting court systems for gain, such as the LockBit/Fulton County case, court systems are often the worst victims of ransomware attacks on government agencies,” said Dan. Schiappa, CPO of Arctic Wolf.
Whether these attacks are carried out in the national interest, or are part of random targeting, the fact that many court systems have been successfully blocked in a short period of time paints a very grim picture of these cyber security infrastructure systems.
Courts fell victim to ransomware and DoS attacks
Often, the type of attack a system faces is a clear indication of the perpetrator’s true motives. Attacks on the court system heavily affected by ransomware show that the attackers were financially motivated.
LockBit, a Russian gang that was recently shut down by international authorities, later said that the downgrade was due to its focus on Fulton County systems as the hacking allowed the group to have access to sensitive documents related to many high-profile cases including previous ones. US President Donald Trump.
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