How thousands of sensitive LAPD files got leaked online and what happens next

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The disciplinary files of Los Angeles police officers are closely guarded secrets, protected by some of the nation’s strictest confidentiality laws.But now, many of those secret files have been splashed across the internet, along with tens of thousands of other sensitive records from the L.A.city attorney’s office.The extent of the data breach is still unclear, and city officials have said they are investigating to find out what was taken, who was responsible and how the city’s cybersecurity was compromised.

California Thousands of LAPD records, including officer personnel files and documents from Internal Affairs investigations, are among the materials believed to have been seized in the breach.A ransomware hacking collective called WorldLeaks, which has gained a reputation for extorting private and public entities by threatening to disclose confidential files on the internet, has claimed responsibility.The group first announced the breach on March 20.

City and LAPD officials did not comment on whether the hackers requested a ransom in return for not releasing the information — or whether the city paid one.Some reports suggest that the group was behind a hack of L.A.

Metro last month that forced it to shut down part of its transit network.The Times spoke with several sources familiar with the investigation into the data breach who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case publicly, and reviewed a partial inventory of the leaked files, including screenshots of some materials.Here’s what we know so far.The hacking group appears to have exploited vulnerabilities in a system used by the Los Angeles city attorney’s office, enabling the group to make off with nearly 340,000 files, according to the sources familiar with the case.In the wake of the George Floyd protests, the sources said, the city was flooded with dozens of lawsuits from p...