February 5, 2021
Erica Blachman Hitchings discussed the recently disclosed breach of the federal court system’s electronic filing system with AP News Legal Affairs Reporter, Maryclaire Dale. The article, Russian hack brings changes, uncertainty to US court system, takes stock of the intrusion’s impact on existing and future cases. Dale reports that the hackers likely gained access to a wide range of confidential information in sealed documents, “including trade secrets, espionage targets, whistleblower reports and arrest warrants.”
Erica explained that qui tam complaints, like those we regularly file under seal on behalf of our clients, could be among the exposed materials:
There’s an underlying concern about what was breached. Our cases do ultimately come out from under seal, but the risk is a compromise in the interim, of a federal investigation or our clients.
Though WLC does not know of any impact on its current cases, we will remain vigilant — as we have always been — in following all required security procedures implemented by the courts around the country.