FOUNTAIN — Water drawn from deep wells in the southern Denver Basin has a wild ride ahead, if a $134 million proposal to build a pipeline and reusable water “loop” through much of El Paso County moves forward. With drought and climate change piling on top of population growth, getting creative to the point of […]
security
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Nicolais: Colorado lawmakers should channel Ronald Reagan — don’t build that fence
In his farewell speech, President Ronald Reagan famously spoke about America as a shining city upon a hill. His eloquent vision did not include a fence, wrought-iron or otherwise, surrounding the city. Colorado’s Capitol building, which sits on a literal hill, should not be walled off either. After vandals caused more than $1 million in […]
Posted inColoradans, Environment, Health, Water
Agricultural water contaminated with “forever chemicals” could taint produce, Colorado study finds
Lettuce and other produce could soak up dangerous concentrations of the banned firefighting chemical PFAS tainting agricultural irrigation, even in areas where drinking water is already filtered for the substance, according to a new modeling study led by the Colorado School of Mines. The study proves the possibility, but does not claim real-world tests on […]
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, COVID, News
Colorado’s unemployment system, slammed with coronavirus claims, inadvertently exposed people’s private data
Colorado’s computerized unemployment system inadvertently exposed private data of an unknown number of people who had recently filed for unemployment. The unauthorized access was blamed on a programming error made by the technology vendor. The issue was identified and blocked by the vendor within an hour of when it was noticed on Saturday. State officials […]
Posted inEnvironment, News, Politics and Government, Water
Colorado lawmakers wanted to tackle the state’s PFAS problem. They are taking more of a baby step.
Colorado lawmakers hoped this year to accelerate regulation of a group of man-made chemicals called per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are often used in firefighting foam and have contaminated drinking water in communities across the state. But a bipartisan bill to do just that was stripped of its most comprehensive elements during its first hearing at […]
Posted inBusiness, News, Technology, Transportation
How SamSam ransomware took down CDOT and how the state fought back — twice
In the early hours of Feb. 21, 2018, malware began spreading rapidly throughout the Colorado Department of Transportation computer network. As employees turned on their computers, messages popped up on screens that files had been taken hostage. If users wanted them back, they would have to pay — in bitcoin. “The impact was fast and […]
Posted inNews, Politics and Government
States like Colorado are on front lines of 2020 election-security efforts
By Christina A. Cassidy, The Associated Press SPRINGFIELD, Va. — Inside a hotel ballroom near the nation’s capital, a U.S. Army officer with battlefield experience told 120 state and local election officials that they may have more in common with military strategists than they might think. These government officials are on the front lines of […]