How Cyberattacks on U.S. Court Systems Are Disrupting Background Checks | WorkforceQA

As cyber threats continue to grow in scale and frequency, local and state governments across the U.S. are increasingly in the crosshairs. Over the past year, a series of ransomware attacks and security breaches have targeted public court systems and criminal record databases, directly impacting the background screening industry and the employers who rely on it.

Earlier this month, Puerto Rico’s Department of Justice halted access to its criminal background certificate system following a cybersecurity incident. This is not an isolated event. Recent disruptions in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, and Oklahoma have severely affected county-level systems, many of which are essential for verifying criminal records, court case histories, and legal compliance during background checks.

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What Employers Are Seeing: Delays, Gaps, and Frustration

For employers trying to onboard candidates, these system outages can create multiple challenges:

• Longer turnaround times for criminal background checks, especially those requiring court clerk verification
• Pending or incomplete reports that cannot be finalized until system access is restored
• Temporary verification backlogs due to manual workarounds
• Uncertainty in hiring timelines, especially when background checks are part of regulated processes

These cybersecurity attacks don’t just affect government systems—they affect how quickly you can hire and how confident you can be in the information you receive.

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WorkforceQA’s Response: Resilience Built Into Every Check

At WorkforceQA, we understand the critical role background checks play in your hiring process—and we’re built to adapt quickly when external systems fail. Our approach combines technology, agility, and experienced teams to ensure we minimize disruption for our clients.

Here’s how we respond to government-related system outages:

1. Alternative Search Routing

We evaluate if searches can be rerouted through alternate jurisdictions or database sources while maintaining compliance with federal and state regulations.

2. Real-Time Communication

You’re kept in the loop with timely updates about affected regions, expected delays, and interim options. We provide ETAs so your HR teams can plan effectively.

3. Clerk and Agency Engagement

Our operations team works closely with court clerks, public record agencies, and IT teams to track progress on system restorations and verify data integrity once systems come back online.

4. Data Security at the Forefront

We don’t just monitor threats to public systems—we also strengthen our own security posture continuously to ensure your candidates’ sensitive data stays protected.

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Why This Matters: The Screening Partner Behind the Process

When evaluating your current provider, ask:

• Do they have clear processes in place for dealing with system outages?
• Can they reroute and adapt without sacrificing accuracy or compliance?
• Are you getting proactive communication during disruptions?
• How do they ensure the security of candidate data?

At WorkforceQA, we’re prepared because we’ve built a background screening process that’s agile, secure, and informed by years of industry experience.

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Get Clarity, Even in Times of Disruption

Whether you’re hiring at scale or managing regulated workforce requirements, system disruptions shouldn’t derail your timelines. Let’s talk about how WorkforceQA delivers reliability when it matters most.

At WorkforceQA, we’re staying agile. Our team is actively:

• Rerouting searches to compliant alternate sources
• Communicating delays in real time
• Collaborating with local clerks and officials
• Doubling down on data security

This moment highlights a critical truth: It’s not just about how your background check provider performs when things go right—but how they respond when systems go down.

👉 Contact us today to learn more about our response strategies and how we protect your hiring process—even when government systems go dark.