Summary
Those who attended or worked at a public high school or university in the state of Colorado may have been a part of a recent data breach. Here’s the details on who is affected and what to do next.
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If you attended or worked at a public school in Colorado, a recent data breach could have impacted you. Earlier this week, the Colorado Department of Higher Education notified individuals that a ransomware group had copied private data from their servers. Here’s what you need to know if you’re affected.
For Personal Tech Media, this is Two Minute Tech. I’m Jim Herman.
This breach impacts multiple groups and covers a separate date range for each affected group. This breach impacts those who attended a Colorado public college or university, those who attended a Colorado public high school, teachers who held public school licenses, participants in the Dependent Tuition Assistance Program or the Adult Education Initiatives Program, and GED recipients in Colorado. The agency has not provided an estimate of the number of people that fall into each category.
The agency says that attackers stole critical data in this breach. Specifically, the initial notice mentions that personal names, social security numbers, student ID numbers, and educational documentation was compromised.
To assist those affected, the Department of Higher Education is offering credit monitoring and identity theft protection through Experian Identity Works for anyone who falls into the impacted groups. Information on how to sign up for this monitoring will also be available in the show notes.
The agency’s release also states that those affected by this incident should closely monitor their credit reports for signs of fraud. It also recommends placing a fraud alert or credit freeze on your credit report.