Last year, we explored the Federal Judiciary’s new safeguards and procedures to protect sensitive court records in light of the SolarWinds Orion cybersecurity breach.  Now, as a result of increased hostilities between Russia and the United States, the New Jersey Judiciary is taking steps to ramp up cybersecurity by blocking web traffic from outside the United States.

The New Jersey Judiciary recently introduced a two-factor authentication system as part of its efforts to increase security for the courts’ technology systems.  Based on recent guidance from the federal government and cybersecurity officials, the Judiciary also has taken steps to temporarily block all web traffic and other communications originating from outside the United States.  This ban is now in place.  The Judiciary has not provided a timeline for these restrictions.  This change accompanies the implementation of other cybersecurity protections to the courts’ mainframe and hardware systems.

Those who travel abroad but require access to the New Jersey Judiciary’s systems should consider lining up U.S.-based coverage and assistance during trips outside the U.S.  The Judiciary has reported that this ban on web traffic from outside the U.S. will be reevaluated in the future.