Denver, CO
Denver lacks comprehensive approach to cybersecurity risks, city auditor says
Denver lacks a comprehensive program to assess potentially disastrous cybersecurity risks, City Auditor Tim O’Brien said in a new report.
The city’s current approach can best be described as “informal,” O’Brien said, particularly when it comes to oversight of independent city agencies or cultural facilities — like the Denver Art Museum and Denver Zoo — that operate on subnetworks tied into the city’s broader system.
O’Brien cataloged his office’s findings in an audit report released Thursday.
The report is the product of a review of city data, processes and planning efforts over two years — from Jan. 1, 2022, through Dec. 31, 2023.
The audit team found that city staff did not consistently complete quarterly mandatory cybersecurity training. The city also lacks a specific training regime for employees responsible for citywide information technology risk management.
O’Brien is urging Denver Technology Services — the city department tasked with overseeing and managing all physical and virtual technology that touches the city’s network — to overhaul its approach and create clear guidelines for how every wing of city government handles data and technology risks.
“Through awareness of cybersecurity risks and clear expectation-setting for appropriate use of technology, the city can trust its employees to do their part in protecting data and information,” O’Brien said in a statement.
The auditor’s office recommended seven steps that Technology Services should take to remedy Denver’s shortcomings.
Those include:
- Developing a citywide risk assessment process
- Developing risk management training
- Creating information-exchange agreements that would require independent agencies and facilities to share information about high-level technology risks with the department
Sumana Nallapati, Denver’s chief information officer, accepted all seven recommendations in a response letter sent to the auditor’s office on June 7. Mayor Mike Johnston hired her in September.
Many facets of what O’Brien recommends are already underway, Nallapati wrote in her response letter.
“(Technology Services) intends to create a robust and holistic organizational risk management structure identifying roles, responsibilities, documentation, risk assumption, identification of training for necessary roles and escalation processes associated to technical risk,” Nallapati wrote in part.
Her letter acknowledged the administration’s limited power to influence independent city agencies. While Technology Services accepted the recommendation to pursue information exchange agreements, Nallapati wrote that her department plans to reach out to independent agencies to see whether they would be willing to sign memorandums of understanding — or MOUs — focused on risk assessment.
“(Technology Services) cannot commit to a completion date for any such efforts, or that a successful MOU will ever be reached,” she wrote.
The audit report cites officials with Denver County Court as specifically asserting that they have the legal authority to operate independently as the judicial branch of city government. Court officials argue that they should not be required to formally communicate potential cyber security risks to Technology Services, the report says.
“But this assertion of independence with limited collaboration undermines the greater good of protecting the city from costly and damaging cyberattacks…” the audit team wrote.
Denver’s approach leaves the city more vulnerable to equipment failures, service disruptions and cyberattacks, the auditor’s office found. Those risk factors could cost Denver millions of dollars per day if any of them were ever to lead to full city network failure, according to the report.
In a statement to The Denver Post, Nallapati said her department is “committed to working across the city enterprise on continuous improvement of technology risk management strategies.”
Colorado has seen its share of high-profile cyberattacks in recent years.
In 2018, a ransomware attack temporarily knocked the Colorado Department of Transportation’s back-end operations offline. It cost the state between $1 million and $1.5 million just to bring the agency’s functionality back to 80% of normal in the months that followed.
Earlier this year, a cyberattack hobbled the Office of the Colorado State Public Defender and delayed hundreds of court hearings. The agency acknowledged that personal data including clients’ Social Security numbers may have been compromised during that episode.
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The No. 1-seeded Boston College Eagles (27-7-2) men’s hockey team takes on the No. 3-seeded Denver Pioneers (30-11-1) in the Manchester Regional Final on Sunday night.
Both teams earned spots in the game after winning their first round contests.
Boston College defeated No. 4-seeded Bentley 3-1 on Friday afternoon after a late third period goal from forward James Hagens and an empty netter from forward Ryan Leonard.
Denver dominated No. 2-seeded Providence 5-1 on Friday night. Four different Pioneers scored goals in the contest.
This is the first time the two teams are meeting since the 2024 national championship. In the title game, Denver topped Boston College 2-0 after scoring a pair of goals in the second period.
The winner of this game will win the Regional and will return to the Frozen Four for the second straight year.
Below is all the information for the upcoming matchup.
How to Watch: Boston College Men’s Hockey vs. Denver:
Who: No. 1 Boston College Eagles and No. 3 Denver Pioneers
When: Sunday, March 30 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: SNHU Arena, Manchester, N.H.
TV: ESPN2
Radio: WEEI 850 AM
Last Outing, Denver: The Pioneers defeated the Providence Friars 5-1 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night.
Last Outing, Boston College: The Eagles beat the Bentley Falcons 3-1 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday afternoon.
Last Meeting: The last time these two teams met was in last year’s national championship on April 13, 2024. Denver defeated Boston College 2-0.
Former Oregon Ducks tight end Terrance Ferguson is taking a visit to the Denver Broncos ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, per The Denver Gazette. Ferguson is a Littleton, Colorado native and has a rising 2025 NFL Draft stock after an impressive NFL combine and Pro Day in Eugene.
Ferguson and Denver quarterback Bo Nix also have exciting chemistry already, as the duo shined at Oregon. Ferguson was a favorite target of Nix’s during the 2022 and 2023 season – finishing with 74 receptions for 805 yards and 11 touchdowns in those two seasons.
Ferguson turned heads at the combine with the fastest 40-yard dash from a tight end (4.63-seconds) and highest vertical leap (39-inch) from a tight end.
Ferguson and Nix are very close friends, who maintained their relationship through Nix’s rookie season in Denver.
“Yeah, I’ve been able to talk to Bo,” Ferguson told Oregon Ducks on SI reporter Bri Amaranthus during the 2024 season. “He had some things to ask me where to go to eat… It’s really cool to see his career take off. I’m super proud of him. I played with Bo for a couple of years and we were close off the field as well. He’s a great friend, great person off the field. So it was just really cool to see his dreams come true. All my family’s cheering for him as Denver Bronco fans.”
Does Ferguson dream Payton calling him during the 2025 NFL Draft to join the Broncos?
“Honestly, anywhere would be the best team for me. But yeah it’d be cool to play back in front of my family again and reunite with some teammates,” Ferguson told Amaranthus.
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Ferguson is fresh off his best season yet, breaking multiple Oregon records to become the Ducks’ most decorated tight end of all time. The fan-favorite broke the Oregon all-time records for career receptions (134) and receiving touchdowns (16) by a tight end, and finished second all-time in career receiving yards (1,537) by a tight end.
The 6-5, 255-pound Ferguson is grabbing the attention of many NFL Draft scouts, including New York Jets tight ends coach Jeff Blasko, who attended Oregon Ducks Pro Day in Eugene.
Ferguson is a great fit for Denver and coach Sean Payton’s offense. Ferguson is tough, experienced and a mismatch nightmare that has drawn comparisons to NFL legend Travis Kelce .
“It is really a blessing and really cool to be put in the same sentence as that guy,” Ferguson told Amaranthus. “He’s done a lot for the game and a lot for the position as tight ends go. But I’ve definitely watched a lot of his tape. He’s a special, special player and he’s really revolutionized tight end play.”
Denver did sign veteran tight end Evan Engram to a two-year deal in NFL free agency. The 30-year-old Engram is coming off a shoulder surgery, so possibly the Broncos are looking to add depth and options to their tight end room.
Penn State’s Tyler Warren and Michigan Wolverines’ Colston Loveland are expected to be the first tight ends taken off the board in the upcoming NFL Draft while Ferguson has solidified himself as a great third option. Ferguson is projected to be a Day 2 pick (second or third round).
Ferguson has a chance to further etch his name in Oregon history books. When drafted, Ferguson will become the first Oregon tight end taken in the NFL Draft since David Paulson was selected by the Pittsburg Steelers with the 240th pick in the seventh round of the 2012 draft.
The NFL Draft will take place from April 24 to April 26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
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