Los Angeles Housing Authority Hit With Cyberattack

Los Angeles Housing Authority Hit With Cyberattack
FILE PHOTO: A man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. (Kacper Pempel/Reuters)
City News Service
1/4/2023
Updated:
1/4/2023

The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles announced Tuesday it is experiencing an apparent cyberattack that has disrupted its systems.

In a statement, the agency described the situation as a “cyber event” and did not specify the nature of the attack or what data may have been compromised. The city’s public housing authority has a budget of more than $1 billion.

The ransomware group Lockbit claimed to have hacked the agency, according to TechCrunch. Screenshots posted online indicate that more than 15 terabytes of files were stolen, with a listed deadline of Jan. 12 for an apparent ransom.

Courtney Gladney of the housing authority said the agency was working with “law enforcement and forensics to investigate the incident.” A statement from the agency said it was working to “confirm its impact to our systems, and to restore full functionality securely to our environment as soon as possible.”