Thousands of LAPD officers AND aspiring cops hit by data breach with their Social Security, birth dates, and addresses stolen from the personnel department
- The hacker emailed the personnel department with evidence of their loot last week
- They hacked the application website, taking information from 17,500 aspiring officers
- Officials said it will take weeks or months to work out how the hack was performed
More than 2,500 Los Angeles police officers and 17,500 aspiring officers who had applied for positions in the force have had their personal information stolen in a data breach.
An anonymous hacker emailed the Personnel Department with evidence of their loot to inform them last week, according to NBC Los Angeles.
They said the information – including names, parts of Social Security numbers, credentials, dates of birth, and emails – was stolen ‘through external sources’, rather than through a contact in the department.
A hacker emailed the department with evidence of their loot last week, taking information of 17,500 aspiring cops and 2,500 officers
Ted Ross, general manager of LA’s Information Technology Agency, told the network they would be bolstering their security.
‘Out of an abundance of caution we’re applying extra layers of security around our personnel system and enhancing defenses,’ Ross said.
However, he said, it will likely take weeks or months to understand how the attack happened, and what exactly was taken – whether it was full files, or merely scraps.
Officers are outraged, said the officers’ union the Los Angeles Police Protective League.
‘We … call upon the city to provide the necessary resources and assistance to any impacted officer who may become the victim of identity theft as a result of this negligence, so that they may restore their credit and/or financial standing,’ the union said in a statement.
An LAPD spokesman said: ‘Data security is paramount at the Los Angeles Police Department, and we are committed to protecting the privacy of anyone who is associated with our agency.’
