Colorado
Personal information exposed during cyberattack on Colorado office
A Colorado state office announced Friday that some personal information of its clients was exposed during a cyberattack launched against the office’s computer system more than a month ago.
The Office of the Colorado State Public Defender first identified computer systems that were locked on Feb. 9.
“Some data within our computer system was encrypted by malware,” an office spokesman, Director of Legislative Policy and External Communications James Karbach, told CBS News Colorado on Feb. 12. “As a preventative measure, we temporarily disabled our computer network and are working to safely and securely bring systems back online. Our operations will be limited while the network is offline.”
RELATED Colorado State Public Defenders office hit with cyberattack
Friday, an updated statement from the office provided new details about the extent of the damage. Although most public defender offices in the state have regained use, the computer system is not yet fully operational. Plus, an untold number of files were copied “in early February,” per the office. Those files involved may include an individuals’ name, Social Security number, driver’s license or identification card number, other government identification numbers, medical information, and/or health insurance identification number.
OSPD personnel, according to the office’s statement, continue working to resolve the malware issues while simultaneously investigating how the malware incident was caused. Law enforcement has also been contacted.
Also, the office is still in the process of determining the specific people whose information was exposed. Meantime, clients of the office were advised to watch for criminal attempts to steal their identity or gain access to their financial accounts, and to take steps if such activity was detected.
OSPD also invited clients to write its downtown Denver office on South Broadway.
The Office of the Colorado State Public Defender provides court-appointed legal representation to people charged with crimes who cannot afford their own attorney.
Details about the extent of the impact to court cases were not released.
“If cases have been affected, we have worked to reschedule clients’ hearings and trials to ensure they are provided fulsome and effective representation,” OSPD’s Zachary Brown stated in an email. “We will continue to do that if cases are impacted.”
The office did not answer questions pertaining to any ransom paid as a result of the cyberattack, nor did it respond when asked if criminal evidence was among the files which were hacked.
Colorado
These wind gusts in Colorado reached the strength of a Category 3 hurricane
DENVER (KDVR) — Strong wind gusts at the speed of a Category 3 hurricane swept through two Colorado counties on Wednesday.
Strong winds blew through the state on Wednesday, leaving tens of thousands without power, causing safety road closures and recording wind gusts reaching over 100 mph. In some areas, winds were even higher, with Summit and Grand counties seeing 124 mph wind gusts.
At 9 p.m. on Wednesday, one weather station on top of Breckenridge Peak 6 picked up a wind gust of 124 mph in Summit County. Then, at 9:52 p.m., another weather station at Parsenn Bowl Summit in Grand County picked up a wind gust of 124 mph, according to National Weather Service records.
These two wind gusts weren’t only the strongest gusts on Wednesday, they were so strong that they were comparable to the strength of a devastating hurricane.
The Pinpoint Weather team said it was the strength of a high-end Category 3 hurricane. These winds also compare to a high-end EF2 tornado, which could damage one or two family residences, according to NWS.
These weren’t the only areas that saw high winds. Several counties across Colorado saw winds higher than 100 mph throughout Wednesday.
The Pinpoint Weather team expects the wind to continue into Friday with continued fire danger. The winds are expected to slow down throughout the weekend.
Colorado
Some Colorado schools will be closed Thursday due to power outages
Some students at Colorado schools won’t be going to school on Thursday. That’s after strong winds on Wednesday on the Front Range and in the foothills caused power outages.
More than 100,000 customers were without power late in the day on Wednesday.
The closed schools include all of the Boulder Valley School District and 25 schools in Jeffco Public Schools. Schools in Gilpin County and Clear Creek County are also going to be closed.
See the full list of school closings.
Colorado
Colorado road conditions: High winds close roads, highways across Front Range
High winds roaring across the Front Range foothills on Wednesday forced road closures throughout northern and central Colorado, according to state transportation officials.
A wind storm is expected to bring gusts reaching 80 to 90 mph through the entire Interstate 25 corridor, from the Wyoming to New Mexico state lines, according to the National Weather Service.
Colorado Department of Transportation officials announced planned closures of Colorado 93, U.S. 128 and U.S. 287 starting at noon because of the high winds, with no estimated time of reopening. A “high wind caution” was also issued for roads in Clear Creek and Jefferson counties.
Some roads may also be closed to high-profile vehicles like tractor-trailers, RVs, campers or light vehicles because of the risk of blowing over, CDOT officials said.
Traffic signals that are dark because of power cuts should be treated as four-way stops.
Colorado road and highway closures as of 1 p.m.:
This is a developing story and may be updated.
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