TRENTON – The New Jersey Judiciary is expanding security measures for its attorney apps to guard against an increase in threats and cyberattacks on government organizations.
According to a release, the Judiciary began piloting two-factor authentication that adds a new layer to its passcode security for several hundred attorneys filing documents through the Judiciary apps. The two-factor authentication will extend to all attorneys using Judiciary apps later in May.
Over the past several years, governments have increasingly become the targets of large-scale cyberattacks. More recently, several court systems, including those in Philadelphia and Texas, were shut for extended periods to recover from a breach. This change is designed to protect against those attacks, including protecting documents and data submitted to and from the court.
“The proliferation of cyberattacks and the potential of such data breaches to disrupt business are a daily concern for both private and governmental organizations. It is incumbent on the Judiciary to take all necessary steps to minimize and lessen the possibility of such digital interruptions. With this current enhancement to our eCourts system, the users of our filing systems must know that we are making every effort to keep their information secure and maintain operations,” stated Judge Glenn A. Grant, acting administrative director of the courts.
All lawyers in New Jersey were required to use two-factor authentication in January, only for the Judiciary’s attorney registration app. The Superior Court Clerk’s Office is providing free continuing legal education training to assist attorneys with the new security measure.
