Around 15,000 employees of Denver Public Schools (DPS) in Colorado had their personal information stolen in a cybersecurity incident that lasted for a month.
According to a statement released by DPS, an “unauthorized actor” accessed and/or took files from the district’s computer servers between December 13, 2022 and January 13, 2023.
The investigation revealed that the information stolen included names, Social Security numbers, employee fingerprints, bank account numbers or pay card numbers, driver’s license numbers, passport numbers, and health plan enrollment information.
Although all DPS employees were affected, there was no indication that any personally identifiable information of students was accessed.
DPS learned of the data breach in January after employees discovered that data had been taken from the district’s network. After investigating, the district informed employees that their personal data had been stolen.
As a response to the incident, DPS is offering free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services, and letters are being mailed to those affected. DPS is also implementing additional measures to enhance the security of its network and continues to provide data security training to its employees.
Data breaches like this can have serious consequences and stolen personal information can be used for a variety of criminal activities, including identity theft and fraud.
In recent years, data breaches have become more common and often lead to significant financial losses for individuals and organizations. It is crucial for individuals and organizations to take necessary steps to protect their data, such as regularly changing passwords and using two-factor authentication, to minimize the risk of such incidents.
