Information Systems and Cybersecurity – Annual Report 2019

Protecting the Judiciary’s Information

Assisting courts with their cybersecurity needs is a top priority of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO), and efforts on several fronts progressed in 2019. New capabilities, including spyware and antivirus blocks, were added to firewalls, which protect the data communications network from malicious traffic. Tools to automate software updates and address security vulnerabilities have been implemented across the court system. All courts are also using a service that consolidates computer-generated log messages to help identify potential security issues.

Fostering Collaboration Among Courts

The Judiciary is completing a multi-year program to upgrade its email and collaboration tools. As of 2019, all courts had deployed Microsoft Office 365 products. The Judiciary also is adopting SharePoint Online, a cloud-based tool that allows courts to share and manage information and seamlessly collaborate across the organization. Content can be accessed with a standard web browser, and because it is hosted in the cloud, it can be accessed anywhere, on any device, at any time. By the end of 2019, SharePoint Online had been implemented in 84 court units, and by the end of 2020, all courts wishing to implement SharePoint Online will have had the opportunity to do so.