LA Homeless Agency Orders Full IT Shutdown After Security Alert
Interim CEO Gita O'Neill ordered staff offline Friday, and the systems remain dark as of Monday while outside experts investigate.
By Harper Foster ·
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority has ordered all staff to disconnect from its internal computer systems following a reported security breach. Interim CEO Gita O'Neill sent an urgent directive on Friday instructing employees to stop work and shut down their devices. The order remained in effect through Monday evening, meaning agency systems have been offline for at least four days.
The agency oversees the Homeless Management Information System, a database containing highly sensitive records for people experiencing homelessness in the region. This data includes names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and disability statuses. It also holds self-reported information regarding mental health, substance abuse history, income sources, and domestic violence history.
O'Neill told LAist on Friday that the agency did not have enough information to determine if sensitive personal data had been accessed. She described the shutdown as a precaution taken out of an abundance of caution while the IT team assessed the situation. A Monday statement sent by public relations strategist Trevor Daley on O'Neill's behalf confirmed that outside cybersecurity specialists were engaged to investigate the nature and scope of the incident.
The internal email, which O'Neill confirmed she sent, used the subject line 'URGENT: Log Off and Shut Down for the Week.' It instructed staff to log off and shut down their computers, preventing them from accessing agency email or other systems until an all-clear was issued. The message also asked employees to report any unusual activity before powering down, such as files renaming themselves or unexpected pop-up messages.
The agency stated it is taking steps to maintain essential operations and remains open while the investigation continues. Legal and technical teams are working to understand exactly what occurred. However, leaders of three service providers funded by the authority said they had not received any direct communication about the security issue as of Monday afternoon.
This incident follows previous cyberattacks on another local housing agency. The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles reported a breach in 2022 where hackers accessed names, Social Security numbers, and financial accounts. A second breach occurred two years later, potentially exposing names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and phone numbers.
O'Neill wrote that protecting people's personal and confidential information is a top priority in the current review. The agency has not yet announced when staff will be allowed to reconnect to their systems.
