RICHMOND, Va. — This week, the Virginia Attorney General’s office, overseen by Jason Miyares, fell victim to a cyberattack that rendered the majority of its computer systems unusable.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that the agency’s Chief Deputy Attorney General informed staff in an email on Wednesday about the situation, indicating that almost all digital systems were offline and confirming that Virginia State Police, along with other law enforcement agencies, are conducting an investigation into the matter.

Chief Deputy Attorney General Steven Popps detailed in his communication that the disruptions impacted numerous critical systems, including Net Docs, Outlook, Teams, the office’s file-sharing services, VPN access, and overall internet connectivity through the Attorney General’s network.
There has been no immediate response from Miyares’ office regarding inquiries about the cyber incident.

As Virginia’s chief prosecutor, Miyares is responsible for overseeing the legal services provided to various state entities, which include agencies, boards, commissions, colleges, and universities. His office also collaborates extensively with law enforcement agencies across Virginia.

To aid legal practitioners during this disruption, both the Supreme Court of Virginia and the Virginia Court of Appeals have made provisions for paper filing, offering access to a designated “basket” for submissions that attorneys had opted to utilize previously.