
Thousands of NSW court files including AVOs leaked in ‘major data breach'
Police were alerted to a breach of the NSW Online Registry website on Tuesday and the state's cybercrime squad commenced an investigation, NSW Police said in statement on Wednesday night.
The registry is an online platform that provides secure access to information in both civil and criminal cases across the NSW court system.
Investigators were working on containing the 'major data breach' and establishing the extent of the breach in collaboration with the Department of Communities and Justice, police said.
The registry was unavailable to users from 8pm on Wednesday night, with a notice saying it was down for 'scheduled maintenance'.
NSW attorney-general, Michael Daley, said in a statement reported by Nine newspapers: 'The NSW government is taking this incident seriously. I am assured that DCJ is working with Cyber Security NSW the NSW Police to ensure the ongoing integrity of the system.
'They are also working to urgently identify and contact affected users and the public will be kept updated as more information becomes available.'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Guardian
19 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Childcare workers with ‘red flags' should be on database to prevent them ‘shopping around' for lax centres, inquiry told
The head of the New South Wales police child sex abuse squad has called for the creation of a national database of childcare workers who have had 'red flags' raised that fall short of criminal prosecution. Giving evidence before a government inquiry into the early childhood education sector in NSW, Det Supt Linda Howlett said such a database would allow centres to share intelligence about former employees who have faced serious allegations that didn't result in criminal charges. They are still allowed to work with children. 'I personally would like to see a database that actually has all those red flags included in it,' Howlett said on Thursday. 'At the end of the day, the offenders that we've actually charged, and a number of them are quite high profile, have never had a criminal history. They have a working with children check and that's the issue.' Howlett's call goes significantly further than the proposed 'national register' of childcare workers that has been put forward by the federal education minister, Jason Clare, in the wake of horrifying allegations of sexual abuse of children at daycares across Melbourne by a childcare worker. Clare has suggested a register – containing details of staff and where they have worked – would assist in protecting children. However, a Guardian investigation last month revealed that most childcare workers who are reported to police or the childcare regulators for allegations of child abuse are allowed to continue working with children, because police and childcare regulators struggle to block them from continued employment if the claim doesn't result in a criminal conviction. A 2023 review of the childcare regulatory system, conducted by the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (Acecqa), found many cases of alleged abuse came down to 'a child's word against an educator's' resulting in 'unsubstantiated claims where no further action is taken'. Childcare services 'have no way to share this information with another approved provider considering employing that person unless they are contacted as a referee,' it said. Howlett said that she understood there were legal and privacy issues regarding any database that tracked allegations that had not been proven. But she said child safety concerns should take preecedence. She said perpetrators 'need access to the children, that's the main aim, and they will do anything to get that'. 'So they'll stay under the radar … what they'll do is they shop around. They'll look for centres that aren't doing the right thing, and that's where they have the opportunity to offend.' Howlett said some of red flags that might be noted on a database could include people who work across many centres, whom she said may be 'centre shopping'; as well as reasons people have been fired from a previous childcare centre. It could also detail any allegations about their behaviour. 'Obviously, we can't crucify people. You know, people have got their rights … but that's why I think a database should exist… so then that information should be recorded,' she said. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Rachael Ward, the acting children's guardian for NSW, said it could be beneficial to implement a register for childcare workers similar to the one for the out-of-home care system in NSW. 'We have an out-of-home care register, which has a flag system … and that does alert other out-of-home care providers if there is a red flag. 'It just means 'contact me for further information'. It doesn't say what the allegations are, it's just that 'I have … information that may be of use to you if you're going to employ this person'. I do wonder if there'd be a register that could be created in a similar vein.' Howlett warned that parents who suspect their children have been abused at a childcare centre should not notify the centre director – but instead go straight to police or the regulator to report incidents. 'My advice to parents and my advice to anyone would be, do not approach the director of the centre,' said Howlett. 'They shouldn't be doing that, as far as I'm concerned, they're tipping off the educator or the centre about what's taken place.' Howlett said that childcare directors who receive reports of abuse from parents may act out of 'self-preservation' and potentially downplay the allegations and seek to discourage parents from official reporting. 'I'm sorry, I'm probably a little cynical, but the director, first of all, doesn't want to lose the business. Money's involved and they don't want this centre to get a bad reputation.'


The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Childcare staff should report crimes to police, head of child abuse squad tells inquiry
Staff in the childcare sector who suspect or see abuse should first 'report it to police' and not the regulator, the head of the New South Wales police child abuse squad, Det Supt Linda Howlett, said during a public inquiry into the childcare sector. 'If you're walking down the street and you saw someone being assaulted, nine times out of 10 most people would contact the police. I don't really understand why this sector sees a criminal offence or an offence and they choose to report it to the regulator,' Howlett said


Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
'Barking dog dispute' turns bloody as three people are allegedly stabbed in a quiet NSW street
A long-running neighbourhood feud over a barking dog has allegedly erupted into a violent stabbing that left three people in hospital. A heated argument allegedly spiralled into a bloody knife fight just after 4pm on Monday in Gossimer Close, Killarney Vale, on the NSW Central Coast. The dispute allegedly began when a 23-year-old woman arrived with her grandmother to discuss an ongoing problem with local dogs. She started speaking to Alicia Wright, 33, and her partner, Nathan Scanlan, 20. Minutes later, the quiet cul-de-sac transformed into a crime scene, with more than 20 police and emergency vehicles flooding the street, as paramedics tended to the three injured. 'I have never seen anything like it,' a shocked neighbour told the Daily Mail. 'We heard all this yelling outside and then Alicia hit the ground hard. 'She plays NRLW and is a tough girl, but you could hear the thud up the road. 'It was awful.' 'Then other neighbours started running into the street and tried pulling everyone apart.' Neighbours allege Scanlan, who only recently moved into the area, arrived at the scene just as the confrontation escalated. They said Scanlan and Ms Wright, a mother-of-two, only began dating last month. 'He is Alicia's new boyfriend and he turned up just as it started,' another witness said. 'This argument over dogs has been going on for a while now, but it's not either of their dogs,' one neighbour added. 'It involves a family from the other street, but someone keeps walking their dog past their house. 'They have had enough because it sets all the dogs in the area off and they came up to try to sort it out. 'In the end, Nathan and Alicia and the member of the other family all got taken to hospital.' The 23-year-old was airlifted to John Hunter Hospital with critical injuries, while Ms Wright was taken by paramedics to the same hospital in a serious condition. Scanlan was arrested and taken to Gosford Hospital in a stable condition, where he remains under police guard, a NSW Police spokesman said. By Tuesday morning, police confirmed both women were in a stable condition. A pink pocketknife is believed to have been found in bushes near the crime scene. 'The police came back again at about 7.30pm that night and searched the area and Alicia's house,' a neighbour said. 'There was blood everywhere, even smeared up someone's wall, it was such a mess.' On Tuesday morning, the street was quiet except for one resident hosing bloody stains from their front steps. Another neighbour, who handed her CCTV footage to police, said she was 'traumatised' by the events. 'It was just awful,' she said. 'There were kids out here and everything.' Police have since charged Scanlan with assault occasioning actual bodily harm (in company), possessing a prohibited drug, affray, and driving while disqualified. He was refused bail. Police have urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.