Personal information on thousands of Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers and applicants appears to have been stolen in a breach of local government security.
The suspected hacker claims they have their hands on the data of 2500 LAPD officers, trainees and recruits, and around 17,500 police officer applicants.
Reports suggest the City of LA was contacted by the individual last week, and its IT Agency has been forced to apply extra security around its IT systems. Those affected by the breach are said to have been contacted.
It’s not 100% clear if the hacker has access to all of the data they claim, although officer names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, emails and passwords could be part of the trove.
The LA Police Protective League, a police officers’ union, issued a strongly worded statement in response.
“The data breach that exposed personal information of Los Angeles police officers and those applying to become police officers is a serious issue for our members. We urge the City of Los Angeles to fully investigate the lapse in security and to put in place the strongest measures possible to avoid further breaches in the future,” it said.
“We also 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.”