The University of Colorado has reported a cyberattack on its software that likely exposed employee, student, health and research records, officials said. University President Mark Kennedy informed the campus communities Tuesday in an email of the “malicious cyberattack” on software provided by vendor Accellion, calling it “the largest, most complex incident involving data” the system […]
cybersecurity
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Huge cyberattack shows it’s time to fix our failing cybersecurity infrastructure
The recent cyberattacks on the U.S. government and select companies that security agencies say is “likely Russian in origin” should be ringing alarm bells across the capital and across the nation. By compromising a software vendor and manipulating their updates, hackers infiltrated the sensitive networks of many of our institutions. Now I fear we’ll repeat […]
Posted inBusiness, News, Technology
Smartphone and registration?: Colorado state troopers will now ask for your digital driver’s license
Colorado State Patrol troopers began accepting digital driver’s licenses as proof of official ID during traffic stops this week after a pilot program that resulted in officers spending less time on the side of the road, which in turn, increased their personal safety. The program has been in the works for more than a year, […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Facebook shouldn’t block a journalist tool revealing how political ads are targeted
Many elements went into John Hickenlooper’s winning campaign for U.S. Senate this year, but an important aspect was his political advertising on Facebook. Not only did Hickenlooper outspend incumbent Sen. Cory Gardner on Facebook ads in the months leading up to Election Day by a ratio of $5 to $1, but he also deployed sophisticated […]
Posted inElection 2020, News, Politics and Government
Election officials bolster confidence in election, warn against misinformation at Colorado Sun forum
Colorado election officials on Wednesday sought to bolster voter confidence in the state’s election system and warn against misinformation and disinformation at a virtual forum hosted by The Colorado Sun. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said she remained confident in Colorado’s system, a sentiment echoed by her Republican predecessor, Wayne Williams. “I’m very confident […]
Posted inBusiness, News, Technology
Spreadsheet snafu exposes private data of 30,000 Colorado state employees
The personal data of the state’s 30,000 employees was inadvertently exposed earlier this month when a master spreadsheet was shared with benefits administrators at Colorado higher education institutions. After learning of the information breach on Oct. 7, the Colorado Department of Personnel and Administration immediately asked the 38 benefits administrators to delete the email and […]
Posted inUncategorized
After a small Colorado city paid cyber attackers a ransom, there’s concern about the rest of the state
If Debbie Wilmot could turn back time, the city of Lafayette would have scanned its computer network regularly. It would have hunted down and plugged holes that tempt cyber prowlers. And there would have been more training sessions to keep cybersecurity awareness high among the town’s 200 employees. The town of about 30,000 people is […]
Posted inBusiness, News
Fraudulent unemployment claims continue in Colorado, but 30-50% were stopped “at the front door”
As some Coloradans report that they’ve received multiple unemployment benefits debit cards in the mail even though they hadn’t made a jobless claim, the state said it’s ramped up efforts to combat identity theft and thwart fraudulent activity that has bombarded unemployment offices nationwide during the coronavirus pandemic. “Based on a number of characteristics, which […]
Posted inBusiness, COVID, News, Politics and Government, Technology
Fraud, ID theft in Colorado have shifted during coronavirus. Now is the time to double down on protection.
The coronavirus pandemic offered identity thieves a gold mine. Using stolen identities, thieves targeted the federal relief program known as the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which was being administered by local state unemployment agencies. The key to the gold mine was that workers could backdate claims all the way to February and collect thousands of dollars […]
Posted inBusiness, COVID, News
Fraudsters foiled by Colorado’s unemployment office as number of new out-of-work claims decline
A crackdown on fraudulent unemployment claims in Colorado resulted in a 42.1% drop in people seeking the $600 benefit paid weekly out of federal coronavirus relief funds. The state Department of Labor and Employment declined to share how scammers were able to claim millions in benefits, but said new fraud detection measures and limiting backdating […]