L.A. Metro, City of L.A. Relaunch Mobile App Enhancing Cybersecurity

To provide Los Angeles residents protection against new and evolving threats on their mobile devices, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) and the City of Los Angeles have relaunched the mobile application, LA Secure.

LA Secure is a free mobile application that will improve the cybersecurity of Metro riders and city residents, keeping them safe online. The app alerts a user to threats in real-time and offers information on what to do about those threats.

In addition, LA Secure provides phishing protection against malicious links and enables people to check the safety and legitimacy of suspicious links before clicking on them.

“Providing a safe and secure environment for Los Angeles County’s 10 million residents to live and work is becoming just as important online as it has always been offline,” said Hilda L. Solis, Metro Board Chair and Los Angeles County Board of Supervisor to the First District. “As L.A. County continues to expand public WiFi access, including on its entire fleet of Metro buses, LA Secure offers an industry-leading technology to ensure all the activity they conduct on their mobile devices remains safe, private and secure.”

This relaunch is part of a larger ongoing effort to promote cybersecurity awareness and offer support to local businesses and government agencies. The City’s Get Connected initiative provides support and general information on free and low-cost internet options, devices, and cyber training.

The app also includes an enhancement that continuously validates all web connections on users’ mobile devices, enabling them to securely shop online, get work done, use social media, check on connecting buses or trains and contact loved ones in the event of an emergency. To date, all of Metro’s 2,300-plus transit buses operating in L.A. County offer free public WiFi access to riders.

“The City and County of Los Angeles have a responsibility to protect residents in both the physical and the digital realms – and it’s a responsibility we take very seriously,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “Through LA Secure, we’re making good on that commitment and empowering people with the resources they need to stay safe online.”