Data included Social Security numbers

A lapse in security at the Colorado Judicial Department led to information about jurors, including Social Security numbers, being exposed on the internet for about a year.

A person in Alaska contacted the state court administrator’s office on July 27 to alert officials about the potential for massive identity theft, according to the Judicial Department.

Files containing 620,945 names with corresponding Social Security numbers and dates of birth were exposed on the department’s internal intranet. A smaller number — 41,140 — was exposed externally, available to anyone on the internet.

The externally exposed jury files were from the following counties: Crowley (2,260), Pueblo (15,001), Rio Grande (8,878) and Weld (15,001).

The information had been exposed since August 2016. After being alerted, the administrator’s office technology department quickly — within 90 minutes — shut down internal and external access to all jury files on the department’s intranet.

“The information exposed was not the result of a malicious attack attempting to access Colorado Judicial files,” a Judicial Department news release said. “Rather, the information was inadvertently exposed.”

Every individual on the list of those exposed, internally and externally, will be notified by state officials about the security lapse. Notifications will include advice and encouragement on “how to monitor their individual credit information.”

Officials are aware of only three individuals “accessing” the data. There are no indications that exposed information had been downloaded in bulk, stolen or used illegally.

Worried about the breach?

People with concerns or questions are asked to send an email to jurydata@judicial.state.co.us.