That creepy feeling that someone is tracking your every move online was acknowledged this legislative session by lawmakers who overwhelmingly passed the Colorado Privacy Act. It gives residents the right to tell companies to stop collecting their data — and delete any personal data collected. As more states consider similar privacy measures and companies like […]
privacy
Posted inBusiness, News, Politics and Government, Technology
Do you know who’s tracking your online activities and storing your data? You could soon in Colorado — maybe.
After Robert Rodriguez got a COVID-19 test last year, he had to log into the testing company’s site to get his results. But to see them, he needed to verify his identity. “The questions were like, what month was your mother born, which of these four cars did you own when you were younger, what […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News
How scammers targeted Colorado’s unemployment system — and what the state is doing about it
Like many victims of unemployment fraud, Duane Thomas only learned that someone had used his identity to file for jobless benefits when a strange 1099-G tax document arrived in his mailbox last month. He reported the mistake in an online form provided by the state Department of Labor and Employment. Within about three weeks, the […]
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 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, Politics and Government, Technology
Removing banned tech from China’s Huawei will cost rural Colorado telecoms over $300 million. Will it even fix the problem?
Facing costs of more than $300 million to rip out equipment now banned by the U.S. government over national security concerns, Fort Morgan-based Viaero Wireless made its plea to the Federal Communications Commission last year to keep the Huawei Technologies parts it installed years ago. “The FCC’s proposed rule threatens Viaero’s ability to survive. Viaero […]
Posted inBusiness, News, Politics and Government, Technology
How California’s data privacy law will change your online experience — no matter where you live
Whether it’s a Social Security number or your mother’s maiden name, it could be easier to find out the personal data companies have about you — and ask them to delete it — starting Jan. 1. That’s when a strict California law goes into effect requiring businesses, including many in Colorado, to make changes like […]
Posted inBook Excerpts, SunLit
Harmless fun at a sleepover leads to life-altering consequences via the internet
Donna Cooner is the acclaimed author of “Skinny, Can’t Look Away,” and “Worthy.” A Texas native and graduate of Texas A&M University, Cooner currently lives in Fort Collins with her husband, a cat named Stu, and two chocolate Labradors, Roxanne and Murphy. The following is an excerpt from “Screenshot.” Each week, The Colorado Sun and […]
Posted inBusiness, Crime and Courts, News, Politics and Government, Technology
Nearly 3 dozen cybersecurity breaches reported in Colorado since start of consumer data-privacy law
Rarely does a week go by without hearing of another cybersecurity breach that exposed piles of private consumer data to strangers. At least Coloradans can take comfort that should this happen to their own personal data, the attacked company must notify them within 30 days. The state law, which went into effect Sept. 1, has […]
Posted inBusiness, Crime and Courts, News, Politics and Government, Technology
Colorado has one of nation’s strictest consumer data protection laws, as of Sept. 1. Are you ready?
When Colorado’s new consumer data-privacy protection law goes in effect Sept. 1, the rules will be among the strictest in the nation. Any company or public agency storing a Coloradan’s personal details will now need a data-protection policy, a swift notification system and the means to destroy the data when it’s no longer needed. But […]