A cyberattack on contractor BAE Systems has knocked out the system that sends federal bankruptcy court notices across the US. The Administrative Office of the US Courts said on October 15 that BAE's IT systems and websites supporting the Bankruptcy Noticing Center (BNC) were hit by a cybersecurity incident, halting the production and distribution of notices.
BAE confirmed a security incident "isolated to the BNC system" and says it is working to restore operations. No restoration date has been given.
What is down?
According to the courts, as reported by BleepingComputer, these are unavailable:
| System | What it does |
|---|---|
| bnc.uscourts.gov | Bankruptcy Noticing Center portal |
| bankruptcynotices.uscourts.gov | Notice access |
| notices.uscourts.gov | Notice access |
| National Creditor Registration Service | Lets creditors set where notices go |
The notice does not say PACER or CM/ECF, the federal court filing system, were affected by this incident.
What is BAE Systems' role?
BAE Systems, best known as a defense contractor, also provides IT, cloud and cybersecurity services to government agencies. It operates the BNC on behalf of the judiciary. A BAE spokesperson told BleepingComputer the company is "aware of a security incident that is isolated to the BNC system" and is coordinating with the courts.
What does it mean for people in bankruptcy?
- Notices will be delayed. Notices of filings, creditor meetings and discharges usually go out through the BNC.
- Don't rely on a notice arriving. Check your case docket on PACER, or contact the court clerk or your attorney.
- Confirm deadlines directly with the court.
- Watch for scams. It's not known whether any data was taken, but fake "bankruptcy notice" emails are a common trick.
Is this connected to the 2025 court hack?
There's no indication it is. In 2025 the judiciary disclosed "escalated cyberattacks of a sophisticated and persistent nature" on its case management system, and Politico reported hackers breached CM/ECF and PACER. This incident involves a contractor-run system, and neither the courts nor BAE has said who is responsible.
