The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) is issuing a warning statement regarding a “data security event” following the LockBit ransomware attack that targeted their organization, resulting in the leak of sensitive data.
See also: Clop ransomware: Hacked companies via GoAnywhere MFT zero-day
The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) is dedicated to providing Los Angeles communities with safe and affordable housing options for those living on low incomes.
With an annual budget of one billion dollars, the government organization strives to provide eligible families with vocational training and education in order to help them achieve self-sufficiency and improve their lifestyles .
On December 31, 2022, HACLA's IT team was forced to shut down all of servers after a data breach alert revealed that computer on its network had been encrypted. An investigation was quickly launched in response.
The thorough investigation into the incident was completed on February 13, 2023 and revealed that malicious actors had unauthorized access to systems between January 15, 2022 and December 31, 2022.
See also: Batloader malware uses Google Ads to deliver Vidar Stealer and Ursnif payloads
An investigation of the server logs revealed that hackers may have gained access to personal information of HACLA members, such as:
- Full name
- Social Security Number
- Date of birth
- Passport number
- Driving license
- Identity number
- Tax registration number
- Military ID number
- Credit/debit card number
- Financial account number
- Health insurance information
- Medical information
HACLA recently warned those concerned by sending out mailers with detailed instructions on how to monitor their accounts, set up fraud alerts and contact authorities in the event of identity theft.
LockBit took responsibility for the attack
The LockBit 3.0 ransomware gang, one of the most well-known and active RaaS (ransomware-as-a-service) operations, claimed responsibility for the attack on HACLA.
On December 31, 2022, the malicious actors uploaded sample files that they claimed were stolen from the HACLA network and then threatened that all data would be released on January 27, 2023.
It appears that negotiations for the ransom payment collapsed and the government agency decided not to pay what the cybercriminals.
See also: Stalker 2 studio claims it was hacked by Russians
However, about a month and a half after the data was released, it appears that the LockBit extortion website is no longer functioning properly – somewhat reducing its impact.
So far, the leaked dataset has not yet been released on any known hacking forum.
Information source: bleepingcomputer.com
