Pueblo County District 70 data breach may have compromised information of students, staff
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – The personal information of current and former Pueblo County School District 70 (D70) students and staff may have been compromised by a recent data breach.
The district believes the breach took place around April 27, but it was not discovered until May 17. D70 said the breach may have affected student records from 1991-2006 and staff records from an undetermined time to the present.
"We take the privacy and security of our community's information extremely seriously," said Ronda Rein, Superintendent of Pueblo County School District 70, in a news release from July 16. "We are working diligently with cybersecurity experts to fully understand the scope of this incident and to strengthen our systems against future threats."
The district said they are currently unaware of any misuse of information, and that a minimal number of staff and students on the server were affected by the breach.
The server was taken offline immediately after being identified. The district is now partnering with a cyber support team that includes representatives from the CIA and FBI to address the issue.
D70 said they implemented new security measures, such as two-step authentications on staff accounts and the transfer of crucial information from local servers to more secure ones. The district also said they will hire a full-time employee to monitor the cyber security throughout the district.
The district recommends all current and former students and staff take precautionary measures to protect their personal information, including:
- Monitoring credit reports and financial statements
- Considering a credit freeze or fraud alert
- Being vigilant against phishing attempts or suspicious communications
Anyone who thinks they might be a victim of the cyberattack is asked to contact the district’s IT Support Team at (719) 549-6121.
