Sussex County prosecutor’s office reports data breach after July network intrusion

The Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office reported a data breach on Friday, Nov. 6, after an unauthorized party accessed its computer network in Sussex County, New Jersey, and possibly obtained sensitive personal information.

The office disclosed the breach involving unauthorized access to its computer network, with an outside cybersecurity investigation under way. The office first received alerts about a network disruption around Aug. 10, 2026. After the alerts, the office promptly started an investigation using outside cybersecurity specialists.

An investigation determined that someone accessed the office’s network without authorization between July 15 and July 22, 2026. Investigators found that someone accessed certain files with personal information and possibly acquired them during the breach.

The exposed data differed by person and covered first and last names, Social Security numbers, and driver’s license or state-issued ID card numbers. The office did not release the number of people affected by the breach. Officials did not disclose the party responsible for the unauthorized network access. Officials did not say if anyone used any of the accessed information for fraud.

The prosecutor’s office said it secured its computer systems and improved security measures after the incident. The office notified state and federal law enforcement agencies about the incident. The office notified the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell about the incident. The office notified the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General about the incident.

The prosecutor’s office created a special phone line for anyone who might have been affected. The call center phone number is 888-269-1448. Call center hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time.

Authorities recommended that individuals look over bank statements, credit reports and other documents for signs of suspicious activity or errors. People who spot unauthorized transactions, unknown accounts or other strange activity should quickly call their bank or service provider.

Consumers can get free credit reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion at www.annualcreditreport.com or by phone at 877-322-8228. People should check credit reports for accounts they never opened or creditor inquiries they did not approve. Consumers can add fraud alerts or security freezes to their credit files.

A fraud alert tells potential creditors that someone might face identity theft risk and asks for extra verification before opening new credit accounts. An initial fraud alert remains active for one year and costs nothing to place.

Credit freezes block access to a credit report, making it harder to open new accounts with stolen personal information. Federal law prohibits charging consumers to add or remove a credit freeze, though a freeze may slow legitimate credit, loan or financial service applications.

Equifax can be contacted at 888-298-0045 or www.equifax.com. Experian can be contacted at 888-397-3742 or www.experian.com. TransUnion can be contacted at 800-680-7289 or www.transunion.com.

People who think someone misused their data should report suspected identity theft to local police, the state attorney general or the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC accepts identity theft complaints at www.ftc.gov/idtheft or by phone at 877-438-4338.

The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act gives consumers rights to review credit files, dispute wrong information and request corrections or deletions of unverified data. Consumers can find more details on rights and identity theft protection at www.ftc.gov.

According to the prosecutor’s office, law enforcement did not delay the breach notification. The notice offered no extra details on the unauthorized access or how many people the breach might affect.