BAE Systems cyber incident knocks out federal Bankruptcy Noticing Center nationwide

A Bankruptcy Noticing Center outage has stopped federal bankruptcy courts across the United States from sending out their official notices. The Administrative Office of the US Courts said on October 15, 2026, that a cybersecurity incident at government contractor BAE Systems took down the systems and websites that run the center, and no restoration date has been given. If you are a debtor, a creditor or a lawyer in an open bankruptcy case, the mail and emails you normally rely on may not arrive for now.

The Bankruptcy Noticing Center, usually called the BNC, is the quiet machine behind every federal bankruptcy court. It produces and sends the notices that tell people a case was filed, when a meeting of creditors is scheduled and what the court has ordered. When it stops, a lot of people simply stop hearing from the court.

What happened at BAE Systems

According to the Administrative Office's statement, a cybersecurity incident affected BAE Systems IT and websites that support the BNC. BAE Systems runs the BNC for the federal judiciary under contract. BleepingComputer, which first reported the statement widely, described the event as a cyberattack on the contractor.

The Administrative Office said it has been in contact with the affected courts and is coordinating with BAE. It added that "BAE is actively investigating this incident and working to restore operations." When BleepingComputer asked for further comment, neither the courts nor BAE Systems had replied.

What is still unknown is just as important. No threat actor has been named. Neither the courts nor BAE has said whether ransomware was involved or whether any personal data was taken. TechNadu, which also covered the outage, noted there was no information yet on whether the incident was caused by a cyberattack, so the cause has not been confirmed publicly.

What is offline during the Bankruptcy Noticing Center outage

The Administrative Office said all access to the BNC systems and websites is unavailable. That includes:

• bnc.uscourts.gov
• bankruptcynotices.uscourts.gov
• notices.uscourts.gov
• the National Creditor Registration Service, which large creditors use to set where their notices go

The BNC has also stopped producing and distributing bankruptcy notices. Because one center serves every federal bankruptcy court, the disruption is national rather than limited to one district.

The first public warning came from Colorado

The US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado posted a notice about the national disruption on October 14, a day before the Administrative Office's statement, according to TechNadu. The court warned that court notices and orders, as well as 341 notices (which announce the meeting of creditors), "may be delayed until the matter is resolved."

The same notice said the Colorado court "will keep accepting filings, opening cases, and processing documents under standard procedures." In other words, the courts are still open. It is the notice system that broke.

Who is affected

People who filed for bankruptcy

Debtors may not receive copies of orders or reminders of key dates on time. The meeting of creditors is a required step in most cases, so it is worth checking the docket or asking your attorney for the date rather than waiting for a letter.

Creditors

Banks, landlords, medical providers and other creditors usually learn about a case through BNC notices. If those notices are delayed, a creditor may not hear about a filing quickly, which can affect deadlines to file claims or object. Companies that registered with the National Creditor Registration Service cannot reach that service right now either.

Lawyers and trustees

Attorneys who use CM/ECF, the federal courts' electronic filing system, have lost easy access to the mailing matrix, the list of parties who must be served. The Colorado court suggested a workaround: run a creditor query by case number. TechNadu pointed out that this list leaves out some parties, such as debtors, trustees and the US Trustee, and may miss claimants. The court told parties and counsel to review their service requirements so that everyone entitled to notice still gets it.

Why this matters

This is a reminder that court systems depend on private vendors, and a problem at one contractor can ripple across the whole country. We have seen the same pattern in other sectors this month, such as the Ahold Delhaize cyberattack that knocked grocery sites offline.

It also lands on a judiciary that is already under pressure over security. According to BleepingComputer, the federal judiciary disclosed a cyberattack on its electronic case management systems in 2025 and said it was "taking additional steps to strengthen protections for sensitive case documents," including stricter access controls for sealed filings. A Politico report at the time said hackers had accessed CM/ECF and PACER and obtained sensitive data, including the identities of confidential informants. The judiciary did not confirm that confidential documents were breached.

Government data has been a frequent target this year. Our coverage of the Pentagon personnel data breach shows how much sensitive information sits with agencies and their contractors.

Will personal data be exposed?

There is no public evidence of that yet. Bankruptcy notices do contain names, addresses and case details, so it is reasonable for people in active cases to stay alert. If the courts or BAE confirm that data was taken, affected people would normally receive a formal notice.

What to do now

You cannot fix the outage, but you can protect your case and your accounts.

1. Check the docket yourself. Use PACER or call the clerk's office of your bankruptcy court to confirm hearing dates and deadlines instead of waiting for mail.
2. Talk to your attorney or trustee. Ask how they are handling service while the BNC is down.
3. Serve parties directly if you are counsel. Follow your court's guidance and do not assume the BNC will send required notices.
4. Watch for scams. Outages create cover for fake "court notice" emails and calls asking for payment. Courts do not demand fees by phone or gift card. If you get a suspicious message, contact the court using the number on its official website.
5. Tighten your accounts. Our guide to protecting your online accounts in 10 minutes walks through the basics, including two factor authentication.

What to watch next

Three questions will decide how serious this becomes:

• When will the BNC come back? Neither the Administrative Office nor the Colorado court has offered a timeline.
• What caused it? A confirmed ransomware attack or data theft would raise the stakes for millions of people with bankruptcy records.
• Will courts extend deadlines? Individual judges or districts may issue orders adjusting deadlines tied to notices, as courts have done after past disruptions.

Contractor security is becoming one of the biggest stories in cybersecurity, from patched network gear like the Citrix NetScaler zero days to outsourced public services. For ongoing coverage, follow our tech news section.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Bankruptcy Noticing Center?

It is the federal judiciary's central service for producing and sending bankruptcy notices, such as case filings, creditor meeting dates and court orders. BAE Systems operates it for the courts.

Are bankruptcy courts closed because of the outage?

No. Courts are still accepting filings and opening cases. The disruption affects the BNC, so official notices may be delayed.

Was my personal data stolen?

There is no public confirmation of data theft so far. The courts and BAE have not named an attacker or said whether data was accessed.

How do I find my bankruptcy hearing date now?

Check your case on PACER, ask your attorney or trustee, or call your bankruptcy court's clerk's office directly.