Man Charged Over Major Data Breach Of Sensitive NSW Courts Documents

NSW Police have charged a man over a major data breach involving Australia’s largest online court-filing system, and the alleged downloading of thousands of sensitive court documents. 

Police raided the home of a 38-year-old man in Maroubra on Wednesday morning, executing a search warrant and seizing two laptops before arresting the man. 

The man was arrested at the scene and taken to Maroubra Police Station, where he was charged with access/modify restricted data held in computer, as well as use carriage service to menace/harass/offend and stalk/intimidate intend fear physical etc harm (personal) relating to an outstanding warrant.

Strike Force Amherst was established in March by the State Crime Command’s Cybercrime Squad to investigate the unauthorised access of nearly 9000 restricted documents held by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) on its Online Registry website. 

Last month, detectives revealed that the sensitive court files included apprehended domestic violence orders and affidavits being downloaded. 

NSW Online Registry Data Breach  

The NSW Online Registry is a comprehensive online system developed and implemented by the NSW government which allows lawyers, prosecutors, judges, and magistrates to conduct procedural hearings and manage court-related matters online. 

The portal provides sensitive information about civil and criminal cases across the NSW court system, prompting serious concern when the data breach was revealed. 

“The NSW government is taking this incident seriously. I am assured that DCJ is working with Cyber Security NSW [and] the NSW Police to ensure the ongoing integrity of the system,” NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley said when the news of the data breach had been announced. 

“They are also working to urgently identify, and contact affected users, and the public will be kept updated as more information becomes available,” Daley said at the time. 

The files were accessed during a two-month period between late January and late March. 

Acting Attorney-General Ron Hoenig has assured residents that no personal information had been detected online or on the dark web and no one protected by apprehended violence orders were identified as being at increased risk of harm. 

‘The matter is now contained, and the system is stable,’ he said, as reported by The Guardian.  

The DCJ has issued a statement on the website data breach, confirming that non data has yet been made public as a result of the breach. 

DCJ is now assessing the documents involved and will contact affected individuals as quickly as possible.

The 38-year old man was refused bail and scheduled to appear in Waverley Local Court on Thursday April 24.