Man Charged Over NSW Court Website Data Breach Involving Thousands of Sensitive Files
A 38-year-old man has been charged following a major data breach in New South Wales, which allegedly involved the unauthorised downloading of nearly 9,000 sensitive court documents from a government portal.
NSW Police Cybercrime Squad detectives arrested the man during a Wednesday morning raid at a Maroubra property in Sydney’s east, concluding a month-long investigation under Strike Force Dorrigo.
Two laptops were seized during the operation. The investigation revealed that between late January and March, 8,769 sensitive court files—including domestic violence orders and affidavits—were downloaded from the NSW Online Registry portal, which is managed by the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ).
Authorities confirmed the files accessed contained highly confidential information related to both civil and criminal proceedings.
According to detectives, the breach was traced to an account registered to a legitimate user of the system.
Serious Charges Laid
The man has been charged with:
- Unauthorised access and modification of restricted data
- Using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend
- Stalking/intimidating with intent to cause fear or harm
- Offences linked to an outstanding warrant
He was refused bail and is scheduled to appear at Waverley Local Court on Thursday.
Police said the operation involved collaboration with both state and federal agencies, highlighting the seriousness of the breach and its potential implications for victims whose personal legal documents were exposed.
