Colorado Department of Higher Education Cybersecurity Incident
August 4, 2023
The University of Northern Colorado recently received notification from the Colorado Department of Higher Education that CDHE was the victim of a cybersecurity ransomware incident that resulted in the unauthorized copying of personal information stored in their network systems. As UNC, along with all other public institutions of higher education in Colorado, is required to share student data with CDHE, many of our current or former students (as well as other members of the university community who fit the criteria below) may be affected by this incident.
According to CDHE, the personal information at risk may include names, social security numbers or student identification numbers, as well as other education records.
We are just learning about the potential extent of the data that was compromised and until we know more about that from CDHE, it is difficult to assess the impact of this incident on those within our university community. At this time, CDHE is stating the following individuals may have been affected if they:
- Attended a public institution of higher education in Colorado between 2007-2020
- Attended a Colorado public high school between 2004-2020
- Taught at a Colorado K-12 public school between 2010-2014
- Participated in the Dependent Tuition Assistance Program from 2009-2013
- Participated in Colorado Department of Education’s Adult Education Initiatives programs between 2013-2017
- Obtained a GED between 2007-2011
As we learn more details from CDHE about their ongoing criminal investigation, we will keep our university community informed to ensure they are aware of the situation and the resources and information CDHE has provided so they can take immediate action to protect themselves from any potential identity theft and fraud.
We encourage anyone who thinks they may have been affected by this incident to utilize the resources and information CDHE has made available, which includes two years of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services through Experian. More information about these resources can be found on CDHE’s website. There is also a designated hotline, 833-301-1346, available between 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mountain Time, Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mountain Time, Saturday and Sunday (excluding U.S. holidays) for those with additional questions.
