Colorado Department of Higher Education reports massive data breach
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The Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) made a report Friday, 4th of August regarding a massive cybersecurity breach. The breach caused the theft of personal information from individuals who attended public high schools, colleges, or universities in Colorado, spanning over a decade leading up to 2020. Furthermore, this data breach also potentially affects teachers licensed by the state and people who obtained GEDs.
According to CDHE officials, an "unauthorized actor" gained access to their systems between June 11 and June 19. During this breach, certain sensitive data was copied. The method of attack is not disclosed
The sensitive data includes
- names,
- Social Security numbers,
- tudent identification numbers,
- other education records.
The affected individuals could be quite extensive, given the varying categories of potential victims:
- Anyone who attended a public college or university in Colorado between 2007 and 2020.
- Anyone who attended a Colorado public high school between 2004 and 2020.
- Individuals who held a Colorado K-12 education license between 2010 and 2014.
- Participants in the state's Dependent Tuition Assistance Program from 2009 to 2013.
- Participants in the Colorado Department of Education's Adult Education Initiatives between 2013 and 2017.
- Individuals who obtained a GED in Colorado between 2007 and 2011.
The exact number of impacted individuals remains undisclosed as CDHE has been unable to provide an estimate at this time. Nevertheless, they have taken measures to secure their network and enlisted the expertise of third-party specialists to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the incident. Both a criminal and internal investigation are ongoing.
The CDHE has pledged to notify potentially impacted individuals by mail or email, provided they have their contact information. To enhance their cybersecurity measures and prevent similar incidents in the future, the department is conducting a review of their policies and procedures, while also introducing additional safeguards.
In response to the breach, CDHE is offering all affected individuals complimentary access to credit monitoring and identity theft protection services through Experian, covering a period of two years. However, it's important to note that victims cannot be enrolled directly, and they are advised to visit cdhe.colorado.gov for further details.
