Arizona courts say hackers copied records on 1.3 million people

Arizona court officials say hackers accessed and copied backup files containing sensitive information tied to about 1.3 million people, including court debt records, foster-care reports and protective orders. The attack on the court system was detected on September 24 and shut down about two hours later, officials said. Notifications have been sent to people and organizations affected, and the investigation is continuing. The files included records associated with the Fines, Fees and Restitution Enforcement Program, which collects unpaid court fees, fines and restitution tied to traffic and criminal violations. The records date back about 30 years and include names, Social Security numbers and case numbers, according to an updated court FAQ. The information concerns people connected with unpaid obligations; the reported figure does not mean all records relate to current cases. The copied material also included more than 150,000 Foster Care Review Board reports dating from 2010, as well as nearly 30,000 active and inactive protective orders. The reports are prepared for cases reviewed by the board, which makes recommendations to juvenile court judges.