Victoria's court system has been hacked, compromising several weeks of court recordings. 

The breach, first detected on 21 December, is believed to have begun around 1 November, affecting audio and video recordings of hearings in the supreme, county, magistrates, and coroner's courts, as well as an October recording from the children's court.

Louise Anderson, Chief Executive of Court Services Victoria (CSV), confirmed the scope of the incident, saying; “The potential access is confined to recordings stored on the network. No other court systems or records, including employee or financial data, were accessed”. 

She said CSV's response to the breach involved immediate isolation and disabling of the network, and assured that no other court systems were affected. She reiterated the illegality of the unauthorised use of hearing recordings.

Witnesses and participants in possibly compromised hearings will be notified, and a dedicated support contact centre has been established. 

“We understand this will be unsettling for those who have been part of a hearing. We recognise and apologise for the distress that this may cause people,” Anderson said.

The Victorian Government, adhering to federal advice, has indicated it will not pay any ransom to the hackers, a move that increases the likelihood of the criminals releasing sensitive recordings. 

Authorities, including Victoria Police's cybercrime squad and cyber security experts from the Victorian Department of Government Services, are investigating the breach. 

CSV has also secured support from IDCARE, Australia's national identity, and cyber support community service.