Top official says Kansas courts need at least $2.6 million to recover from cyberattack

The Kansas court system needs at least $2.6 million in additional funds to recover from an October cyberattack that prevented the electronic filing of documents and blocked online access to records for weeks, the state’s top judicial official told legislators Tuesday.

State Supreme Court Chief Justice Marla Luckert included the figure in a written statement ahead of her testimony before a joint meeting of the Kansas House and Senate Judiciary committees. The Republican-controlled Legislature must approve the funding, and Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly also must sign off.

Luckert’s written statement said the courts needed the money not only to cover the costs of bringing multiple computer systems back online but to pay vendors, improve cybersecurity and hire three additional cybersecurity officials. She also said the price tag could rise.