Hacker of US Supreme Court filing system receives probation

Nicholas Moore was sentenced on Friday to a year of probation, which is defined as a period of supervision over an offender ordered by a court instead of serving time in prison. The sentencing follows Moore’s guilty plea regarding his cyberactivities. Specifically, Moore admitted that he hacked the U.S. Supreme Court’s electronic document filing system dozens of times over several months. The electronic document filing system serves as the digital infrastructure used by the court to receive legal filings. By accessing this system repeatedly, Moore compromised the integrity of the digital portal used by the highest judicial body in the US.

The intrusion into the judicial database was not an isolated incident. Beyond the Supreme Court, Moore also hacked the networks of AmeriCorps, a US government agency for national service, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, which provides healthcare and welfare services to military veterans. To execute these breaches, Moore utilized stolen credentials—the login information used to access a secure system—belonging to one of his victims. Moore used these stolen credentials to access the U.S. Supreme Court’s electronic document filing system, AmeriCorps, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. After gaining unauthorized access, Moore bragged about his activities on an Instagram account, where he went as far as posting the personal information of the victims he had compromised.

For his actions, Moore faced severe legal consequences under US law. The charges carried a potential penalty of up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000 in damages. However, the prosecution chose to pursue a more lenient path. Prosecutors ultimately requested that the court sentence Moore to probation instead of prison time and a fine. The court agreed with this recommendation, finalizing the sentence of a year of probation during the Friday hearing, sparing Moore from both incarceration and financial penalties.

During the sentencing hearing on Friday, Moore expressed remorse for his actions and addressed the court directly. According to a report by The Hill, the defendant apologized for his cyberintrusions. “I made a mistake, I am truly sorry. I respect laws, and I want to be a good citizen,” Moore said.

Why it matters

This case highlights the vulnerability of US government digital infrastructure and the judicial approach to cybercrime sentencing when defendants plead guilty.