DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles discloses a “complex cyber-attack.” We call it a ransomware attack.

Posted on March 12, 2023 by Dissent

As many of us were waking up to a brand new year, DataBreaches reported that LockBit 3.0 had claimed an attack on the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA). Screencaps of directories and some files were provided by LockBit as proof of claims. Numerous news outlets picked up the news of the attack, and HACLA quickly confirmed that they were investigating what they called a “cyber event” that was causing disruptions.

On January 27, LockBit leaked what they claimed was the 15 TB of data they had exfiltrated. And on March 10, more than two months after discovering they had been attacked, HACLA issued a press release and notification.

Their notice states that HACLA discovered encrypted files on some of their systems on December 31 from what they now describe as a “complex cyber-attack.” Nowhere in their notice do they use the word “ransomware” or mention any ransom demand.

Upon discovery of the encryption, HACLA immediately shut down its network and started to investigate. Their forensic investigation determined there had been unauthorized access to certain servers between January 15, 2022 through December 31, 2022. It appears that HACLA never detected the intrusion and activities of the threat actors until they triggered the encryption at the final step.

On February 13, 2023, HACLA completed its review of impacted systems and determined that the impacted systems contained personal information.

“While the specific data elements vary for each affected individual, the scope of information involved includes an individual’s name, Social Security number, date of birth, passport number, driver’s license number or state identification number, tax identification number, military identification number, government issued identification number, credit/debit card number, financial account number, health insurance information, and/or medical information,”  HACLA writes.

Those who are being notified — which presumably includes personnel as well as residents of the city who applied for housing assistance — are being offered one year of free credit monitoring services.

More information can be found on HACLA’s website at HACLA.org.

HACLA’s notice does not disclose how many people are being notified, nor whether this was reported to HHS.  At the time of publication, the HACLA leak is still supposedly available on LockBit’s dark web server although the reserve server hosting the data appears to be offline.

This post will be updated when numbers are made available.

 

 

Category: Commentaries and AnalysesGovernment SectorMalwareU.S.

Post navigation

← Notice of Privacy Incident of Historical Health Records – California Secretary of State
NY Attorney General James Continues Crackdown on Unregistered Cryptocurrency Platforms →

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • Nigerian National Sentenced To More Than Five Years For Hacking, Fraud, And Identity Theft Scheme
  • Data breach of patient info ends in firing of Miami hospital employee
  • Texas DOT investigates breach of crash report records, sends notification letters
  • PowerSchool hacker pleads guilty, released on personal recognizance bond
  • Rewards for Justice offers $10M reward for info on RedLine developer or RedLine’s use by foreign governments
  • New evidence links long-running hacking group to Indian government
  • Zaporizhzhia Cyber ​​Police Exposes Hacker Who Caused Millions in Losses to Victims by Mining Cryptocurrency
  • Germany fines Vodafone $51 million for privacy, security breaches
  • Google: Hackers target Salesforce accounts in data extortion attacks
  • The US Grid Attack Looming on the Horizon

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • California county accused of using drones to spy on residents
  • How the FBI Sought a Warrant to Search Instagram of Columbia Student Protesters
  • Germany fines Vodafone $51 million for privacy, security breaches
  • Malaysia enacts data sharing rules for public sector
  • U.S. Enacts Take It Down Act
  • 23andMe Bankruptcy Judge Ponders Trump Bill’s Injunction Impact
  • Hell No: The ODNI Wants to Make it Easier for the Government to Buy Your Data Without Warrant

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.