Even the most critical infrastructure is vulnerable to sophisticated cyber threats, as evidenced by the repeated breaches of the US federal judiciary. Between 2020 and 2025, these systems, including the Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) and Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER), were compromised by nation-state actors.

One significant attack in 2020 was linked to the infamous SolarWinds Orion supply chain compromise. Attackers injected malicious code into legitimate software updates, granting them deep access to networks that trusted the vendor. Later, a 2025 breach exploited 'unresolved vulnerabilities' that had been known for five years, highlighting the dangers of neglected legacy systems and delayed security updates.

These incidents reveal a stark reality: if government systems with immense resources can be breached, SMBs are equally, if not more, susceptible. The judiciary's systems held sensitive but unclassified data like phone taps and subpoenaed emails – data types that mirror the confidential client information, intellectual property, and financial records critical to many small businesses. A key contributing factor was the delayed adoption of fundamental security controls like multi-factor authentication (MFA), which only became mandatory across the judiciary in 2025.

**Why These Breaches Matter for Your Business:**

• **Supply Chain Risk is Real:** Your business relies on a network of vendors and software. A compromise in any of your suppliers can directly impact your security posture, just as SolarWinds affected the judiciary.
• **Legacy Systems are Liabilities:** Outdated software and hardware often contain known vulnerabilities that become prime targets for attackers. Ignoring these risks is like leaving your digital doors wide open.
• **Basic Security Gaps Persist:** The lack of widespread MFA and delayed patching underscores that even fundamental security measures are often overlooked or implemented too slowly, even in large organizations.

**What COM3 Recommends Your Business Review:**

• **Supply Chain Vetting:** Understand the security practices of your critical third-party vendors and software providers.
• **Vulnerability Management:** Implement a robust system for identifying, prioritizing, and patching vulnerabilities in all your systems and applications.
• **Legacy System Audit:** Identify any outdated systems that pose security risks and develop a plan for their modernization, replacement, or enhanced protection.
• **Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA):** Ensure MFA is universally deployed across all accounts, especially for remote access and critical systems.
• **Employee Security Training:** Educate staff on recognizing phishing attempts and the dangers of executing untrusted software.
• **Incident Response Planning:** Have a clear, tested plan for what to do if a breach occurs.

**How COM3 Can Help:**

COM3 IT Solutions provides comprehensive managed IT, security, and compliance services designed to protect SMBs from threats highlighted by these incidents. We can help you implement a Zero Trust architecture, strengthen identity and access management with advanced MFA, conduct proactive vulnerability assessments, and manage your patch cycles. Our experts can also assist in evaluating your supply chain risks and developing strategies to secure your legacy systems, ensuring your business isn't caught off guard by preventable attacks.

Source: https://www.hackthebox.com/blog/us-federal-judiciary-cyberattacks-solarwinds-pacer