The Sussex County Prosecutor's Office in New Jersey has disclosed a data privacy incident in which an unauthorised person accessed its computer network and files containing personal information may have been taken.

The office, based in Newton, said it received alerts of a disruption to its network on or about 10 August 2026 and launched an investigation with outside cybersecurity specialists. The investigation found that someone accessed the network without authorisation between 15 and 22 July 2026, and that certain files holding personal information were accessed and may have been taken.

The information in those files includes people's first and last names, Social Security numbers, and driver's licence or state-issued identification card numbers. The notice does not say how many people are affected, and it does not claim that every listed category of information was exposed for every person. It also does not say whether the data was actually stolen, only that theft cannot be ruled out.

Reported to law enforcement

The prosecutor's office said it has reported the incident to state and federal law enforcement, the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell and the Office of the Attorney General. A dedicated assistance line, (888) 269-1448, is running Monday to Friday from 9am to 9pm Eastern time for people seeking further information.

No named official has given an on-record statement beyond the notice itself, and the notice does not identify who was behind the intrusion or how they gained access. The disclosure follows a run of public-sector breach notices in the United States this year, including a Florida Department of Education breach that put up to 4.9 million people's Social Security numbers at risk.