NSW Police nets Sydney man for alleged unauthorised access of NSW court registry website

NSW Police have charged a 38-year-old man following an investigation into the alleged unauthorised access of the NSW Department of Communities and Justice Online Registry Website.

According to a statement from NSW Police, officers worked with Oden Central Metropolitan Operational Support Group to execute a search warrant in the Sydney suburb of Maroubra.

The man was arrested at the scene, taken to Maroubra Police Station and 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.

In addition, two laptops were seized.

The investigation originally commenced in March under Strike Force Pardey. ARN understands it was then shifted to Strike Force Amherst when the severity of the breach was realised, which found the alleged unauthorised access of 8,769 restricted documents held by the NSW DCJ ORW between 29 January and 20 March.

The source of the compromise, the statement claimed, was an account linked to a registered user of the ORW, which was discovered by Strike Force detectives working closely with state and commonwealth agencies.

The man was refused bail and was set to appear in Waverley Local Court on 24 April.

At the time of the March investigation announcement, Sydney-based Marque Lawyers managing partner Michael Bradley told ARN that “it would be difficult to overstate” the damage of a “data breach” of this kind.

“Court files contain massive volumes of incredibly sensitive information, the disclosure of which could cause devastating harm including placing people’s safety at risk,” he said.