Attack on BAE-managed system disrupts US bankruptcy courts
A security incident on BAE-managed systems has halted US bankruptcy court notices nationwide.
The Administrative Office of the US Courts said systems supporting the Bankruptcy Noticing Center were taken offline after a cybersecurity incident. BAE Systems, which runs the BNC for the Federal Judiciary, said the incident is isolated to that system and that restoration work is underway with the courts. Disruptions began around October 9, 2026, stopping electronic and paper bankruptcy notices nationwide, including bnc.uscourts.gov and related sites. Courts still accept filings, but notice service may be delayed, and a Texas court extended certain stay deadlines by 30 days.
- Bankruptcy Noticing Center sites and systems are offline nationwide.
- BAE Systems says the incident is isolated to the BNC.
- Problems began around October 9; courts still accept filings.
- A Texas bankruptcy court added 30 days to some stay deadlines.
- Officials have not confirmed data theft, ransomware, or attribution.
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Legal eagles still plodding along with some operations, but paper and e-notices delayed until further notice
The US' bankruptcy courts are currently down owing to what officials are calling a “cybersecurity incident.”
The Administrative Office of the US Courts said the websites and systems that support the Bankruptcy Noticing Center (BNC), which manages electronic comms related to bankruptcy cases, were pulled offline while the vendor investigates.
UK-based BAE Systems runs the affected systems and websites on behalf of the Federal Judiciary, and is “working to restore operations,” according to an announcement by the US Courts on Thursday.
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“As a result of the incident, all access to the BNC systems and websites that BAE operates on behalf of the judiciary and the related bankruptcy noticing process are unavailable at this time, including bnc.uscourts.gov, bankruptcynotices.uscourts.gov, notices.uscourts.gov, and the National Creditor Registration Service," it said.
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“The incident has also halted the BNC’s production and distribution of bankruptcy notices for bankruptcy courts.”
While the public notice was published on Thursday, the issues affecting the BNC systems began a few days earlier, on October 9, according to the Bankruptcy Court of the Eastern District of Texas.
Alongside its own announcement, the same court published a general order indicating that for any case filed on or after September 14 with an active motion to stay, that delay would be extended by an additional 30 days.
The court said it will continue to accept filings, open cases, and process documents, but said there may be a delay in the entry and service of notices and orders until the issues are resolved.
The courts' ability to process electronic and paper bankruptcy notices is affected, and it applies to federal bankruptcy courts across the country.
A spokesperson at BAE told The Register: "BAE Systems, Inc. operates the Bankruptcy Noticing Center (BNC) on behalf of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AOUSC). We are aware of a security incident that is isolated to the BNC system and have taken immediate steps to address it. We are coordinating closely with AOUSC on the response."
The disruption comes at a difficult time for the US public sector, which has struggled with multiple recent cyberattacks.
ShinyHunters' attack on the FBI in September is doubtless the most high-profile of these, although the Arizona Judicial Branch confirmed an attack on the state’s court systems at around the same time.
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Officials said the “criminal hackers or their bots” were responsible for stealing personal data and backup court files.
The US Courts also said in August 2025 that it was stepping up its cybersecurity measures in response to increased targeting of its case management system. ®