Former and current high school staff and students in Colorado have been informed about a cybersecurity breach at the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) [1]. This breach [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [9], which occurred between June 11 and June 19, 2023 [1] [2] [3] [6] [7] [9], involved unauthorized access to CDHE systems and potentially exposed decades of records belonging to Colorado students.
Description
During the breach, personal information such as names [3] [8], social security numbers [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9], addresses [3] [9], and student identification numbers may have been copied. CDHE is currently conducting a thorough investigation and has implemented additional cybersecurity measures [2], including policy reevaluation and the implementation of additional safeguards. Potentially affected individuals will be notified through mail or email [2], and CDHE is offering complimentary two-year credit monitoring and identity theft protection services through Experian [1] [4] [6].
The breach potentially impacts various groups [4], including individuals who attended public higher education institutions in Colorado between 2007 and 2020 [1] [3] [9], or attended a Colorado public high school between 2004 and 2020 [3] [4]. Other potentially affected groups include individuals with a Colorado K-12 public school educator license between 2010 and 2014 [3], participants in the Dependent Tuition Assistance Program from 2009 to 2013 [3] [5] [7], participants in Colorado Department of Education’s Adult Education Initiatives programs between 2013 and 2017 [3] [5] [7], and those who obtained a GED between 2007 and 2011 [3]. The exact number of affected individuals is unknown [3], but it is expected to be significant [3].
CDHE is working with third-party specialists to investigate the breach and advises those at risk to remain vigilant against identity theft and fraud [4]. It is recommended that individuals regularly review account statements and monitor free credit reports for any suspicious activity or errors [9]. A hotline has been established for any questions regarding the breach.
Conclusion
The cybersecurity breach at CDHE has potentially exposed personal information of Colorado students, impacting various groups over a significant period of time. CDHE is taking the breach seriously and has implemented additional cybersecurity measures to prevent future incidents. The department is providing support to affected individuals through credit monitoring and identity theft protection services. CDHE is working diligently with third-party specialists to investigate the breach and advises individuals to remain vigilant against identity theft and fraud. It is crucial for affected individuals to regularly monitor their accounts and credit reports for any signs of suspicious activity.
References
[1] https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/colorado-education-ransomware/
[2] https://www.denverpost.com/2023/08/04/colorado-department-higher-education-data-breach/
[3] https://techcrunch.com/2023/08/07/colorado-ransomware-public-school-data/
[4] https://gazette.com/news/education/colorado-students-records-exposed-after-massive-data-breach/article_81d01ec8-330d-11ee-a369-573fcb48d5b2.html
[5] https://www.koaa.com/news/covering-colorado/colorado-department-of-higher-education-victim-of-a-major-data-breach-over-a-decade-of-students-affected
[6] https://www.nbc11news.com/2023/08/05/colorado-department-higher-education-reports-massive-data-breach/
[7] https://krdo.com/news/2023/08/04/colorado-dept-of-higher-education-reports-potentially-massive-data-breach/
[8] https://www.engadget.com/colorado-department-of-education-data-leak-personal-information-143001196.html
[9] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/colorado-education-department-suffers-ransomware-breach
