Cybersecurity Incident Disrupts US Federal Bankruptcy Court Services

Several online services supporting bankruptcy proceedings in US federal courts have gone offline following a cybersecurity incident involving BAE Systems IT, a contractor responsible for operating key court systems.

The Administrative Office of the US Courts (AOC) disclosed the disruption on Thursday, October 15, 2026, saying the incident had affected the Bankruptcy Noticing Center (BNC), which manages systems used to produce and distribute bankruptcy notices nationwide.

BAE Systems IT, a division of British defence contractor BAE Systems, operates the BNC’s systems and websites on behalf of the federal judiciary.

The AOC said access to the affected systems and websites was unavailable, disrupting the bankruptcy notification process. The incident also halted the production and distribution of bankruptcy notices for federal bankruptcy courts across the country.

A BAE Systems spokesperson said on Friday that the company was aware of a security incident isolated to the BNC system and had taken immediate steps to address it. The company is also coordinating with the courts as efforts to respond to the incident continue.

The AOC said BAE Systems was actively investigating the incident and working to restore operations. However, the authorities did not disclose the nature of the cybersecurity breach, whether any information had been accessed or stolen, or when the affected services would be fully restored.

The affected platforms include bnc.uscourts.gov, bankruptcynotices.uscourts.gov and notices.uscourts.gov, as well as the National Creditor Registration Service.

The Bankruptcy Noticing Center plays an important role in bankruptcy proceedings by preparing and transmitting official notices to relevant parties, including creditors. Disruption to the service could delay the delivery of notices and complicate some administrative processes while the systems remain unavailable.

The incident highlights the potential operational risks when essential judicial services depend on third party technology providers. The AOC and BAE Systems have not publicly identified the cause of the incident or provided details about its wider impact.