Colorado Secretary of State maintains "elections are secure" after password leak

The Colorado Secretary of State's Office released more information about the online password leak on Monday, the day before the election. The passwords to voting systems statewide were leaked online in June. They remained publicly available for five months before they were flagged.

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said they contacted the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Oct. 24. Days later, the Secretary of State's Office identified which specific systems were impacted, specifically 34 of Colorado's 64 counties, and the passwords were changed.

According to Griswold, once that was completed, they were able to confirm that no settings were changed on any of the equipment. 

Griswold's communications director, Jack Todd, told CBS News Colorado that an employee accidentally made the passwords public.

That staff member "amicably left the department before the matter took place," according to the Secretary of State's Office. 

Griswold released this statement: "Colorado's elections are safe and Coloradans will have their voices heard on Election Day. Our elections have many layers of security. Ensuring that Colorado's elections are secure and accessible has been and will always be our top priority, which is why the Department of State, along with County Clerks and election workers across the state, address any and every potential risk to our elections with the utmost seriousness. I am regretful for this error. I am dedicated to making sure we address this matter fully and that mistakes of this nature never happen again."