Drug Cartels Are the New APTs | Lawfare

Drug Cartels Are the New APTs  By Tom Uren | Lawfare

The recent cyber intrusion into the U.S. federal judiciary’s Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) and PACER systems has unveiled a critical vulnerability in national security infrastructure. This “sweeping cyber intrusion” exposed sensitive, unclassified information, including witness identities and details of ongoing criminal investigations. A primary concern is the potential for Latin American drug cartels to weaponize this stolen data. The incident is further complicated by the discovery that multiple nation-states and various criminal groups simultaneously breached these systems, with some maintaining access for extended periods. This situation highlights a pervasive issue across U.S. federal agencies, a reactive “education-by-breach” approach to cybersecurity. The increasing accessibility of hacking tools, termed the “democratization of hacking,” exacerbates these risks. Mr. Uren suggests that current strategies, including offensive cyber operations, are insufficient against such a diverse threat landscape. A more effective approach would involve a coordinated security uplift and a centralized response, such as developing and sharing incident case studies among government agencies, to proactively address these persistent and sophisticated cyber threats.

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