LOS ANGELES (CNS) - An investigation is underway into a data breach involving the personal information of about 2,500 Los Angeles police officers and a much larger number of officer applicants, city officials confirmed today.
Mayor Eric Garcetti's office issued a statement this morning saying that the breach was discovered on Thursday and “involved limited information about city of Los Angeles job applicants in a database that is no longer used by the Personnel Department.”
NBC4 reported that the personal information of about 2,500 LAPD officers, along with around 17,500 police officer applicants, was stolen in the data breach, and that those affected were notified over the weekend.
The mayor's office statement saud the city “take(s) the protection of personal data very seriously” and the city's Information Technology Agency “has added additional layers of security to guard against future events of this kind."
Channel 4 reported that the compromised data included the officers' names, dates of birth, part of their employee serial number and the email address and password they set up when applying for the job.
The LAPD issued a statement saying the department “is working with our city partners to better understand the extent and impact of the data breach. We are also taking steps to ensure the department's data is protected from any further intrusions. The employees and individuals who may be have been affected by this incident have been notified and we will continue to update them as we progress through this investigation.”
The LAPD told the affected personnel they should monitor their personal financial accounts, get copies of their credit reports and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.
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