N.J. courts bans international access to records

New Jerseyans living or traveling outside the United States will no longer be able to access court records online, judiciary said today in a post on their social media account.

“The Judiciary is blocking all internet traffic from outside the country to ensure the security of our data.  This includes access to all of our websites, applications, and other services,” the courts said.  “We are also blocking all email traffic to and from all sites outside the U.S.”

The move was not based on any imminent threat to the courts computer system.

“The New Jersey Judiciary continually monitors and assesses threats across the security landscape.  Based on guidance from the federal government and state cyber security officials, the Judiciary has temporarily eliminated internet traffic and other communication from outside the country and installed two-factor authentication to increase its protection of user accounts,” said Pete McAleer,  a spokesman for the Administrative Office of the Courts.  “We will continue to remain vigilant and look for any indications that our system has been compromised.  We took this step in late March and it will remain in effect as long as deemed necessary.”