US Senator Ron Wyden has publicly criticized the federal judiciary for what he calls a failure to implement basic cybersecurity measures after a recent breach that exposed confidential court documents. He cited reports that hackers tied to the Russian government were involved and that vulnerabilities were known since 2020.
Two related filing platforms—CM/ECF and PACER—were breached in 2020, and a second intrusion was detected around July 5, 2025, according to Politico, with the New York Times noting Russia’s possible involvement. The breach is described as a “severe threat” to national security.
Wyden’s letter to Chief Justice John Roberts argued that the judiciary has failed to follow security practices standard in federal agencies and private industry, exposing sensitive documents that could reveal sources and methods or aid suspects. He urged an independent, public review led by the National Academy of Sciences to diagnose and fix the system.
The CM/ECF system allows electronic filing of pleadings, many of which are public, though some filings are sealed in the interest of ongoing investigations. The auditing and transparency concerns have prompted calls for reforms in the judiciary’s information technology strategy.
In a broader push, Wyden warned that ongoing vulnerabilities and a lack of oversight risk undermining national security. He called for timely, concrete changes and greater transparency about what happened and how it will be prevented in the future.
