U.S. investigators have found evidence that Russia was at least partly responsible for a cyber-intrusion into the computer system that manages federal court documents, the New York Times reported, citing people briefed on the matter. The breach targeted the Case Management/Electronic Case Files network and its public-facing PACER portal, both integral to filing and retrieving court records nationwide. Officials say the infiltration appears to have been underway for years and compromised sealed filings that include national-security, espionage and other sensitive criminal cases across at least eight district courts. Administrators warned clerks and judges that “persistent and sophisticated cyber-threat actors have recently compromised sealed records,” ordering the most sensitive material to be removed from the main system immediately. The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts confirmed experiencing “escalated cyberattacks of a sophisticated and persistent nature” and is tightening access controls, expanding multifactor authentication and working with the Justice and Homeland Security departments to assess damage. In New York’s Eastern District, Chief Judge Margo K. Brodie has barred new sealed filings from being uploaded to PACER, requiring them to be stored on a separate, offline drive. Congressional committees were briefed last week and have requested a classified follow-up session. Lawmakers from both parties say the incident underscores longstanding warnings that the judiciary’s ageing network—hit by a related SolarWinds-linked breach in 2020—needs urgent modernization funds. The scope of the data taken and whether additional foreign actors were involved remain under active investigation.