The Allegheny County District Attorney's Office is grappling with the aftermath of a cyberattack that severely handicapped its communication systems. Last week, the office's computers and phones were severely disrupted, leaving staff to find alternative methods to maintain operations. According to First Assistant District Attorney Rebecca Spangler, the intrusion was detected early enough to prevent a total disaster, as reported by TribLIVE.
It remains unknown whether the DA's office was hit by a malware or ransomware attack, but servers have been shut down to prevent further damage, and emailing with other agencies has been curtailed to keep the threat contained. "At this time, we don’t know what the attempt was — we’re still in the investigation stage to tell what type of intrusion," Spangler said, as per TribLIVE. Instead of their usual technology, some attorneys and staff have resorted to working from home, and the office has resorted to using paper filings where necessary.
In response to the attack, the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas restricted emails and Microsoft Teams calls and invitations from the district attorney’s office. Communications for the District Attorney's Office are hampered, though their desk phones have been restored without voicemail capability, according to an update on their website.
Authorities have set up two phone lines for public use during these disruptions. The DA’s office can be reached at 412-915-6914 or 412-879-7548, and the general email address [email protected] remains active, as detailed by CBS News. “Everything is more difficult, but we still have to do the work," and "The criminal justice system doesn’t stop,” Spangler said in a statement reported by TribLIVE. This incident brings to memory earlier cyber attacks that targeted Washington County earlier this year and the Pennsylvania courts' website, alongside a 2015 incident where the DA's office coughed up six Bitcoins, roughly $1,400 at the time, in ransom following a malware infection that locked access to its encrypted files.
