Data Centers Follow-up
Denver International Airport’s Business Technologies Division fully implemented five recommendations made in the original audit report, but two others have yet to be fully implemented or acted upon.
Our follow-up work found Denver International Airport’s Business Technologies Division tracks overall data center costs and energy use, collaborates and shares knowledge with the city’s Technology Services agency, includes the new data center in its continuity of operations plan, and has developed a new process for application reviews.
However, the airport delayed its efforts to find another internet solution because of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Until another internet solution is implemented, the airport’s data centers will continue to rely on a single internet service provider. This puts those facilities at continued risk when internet service is disrupted.
Because of the airport’s delay in addressing its internet service provider, the airport also has not yet determined whether its secondary data center should be relocated or improved.
Auditor's Letter
March 3, 2022
In keeping with generally accepted government auditing standards and Auditor’s Office policy, as authorized by city ordinance, the Audit Services Division has a responsibility to monitor and follow up on audit recommendations to ensure city agencies address audit findings through appropriate corrective action and to aid us in planning future audits.
Our original audit evaluated data centers operated by both the city and Denver International Airport. However, this follow-up report addresses only the seven recommendations we made to the airport’s Business Technologies Division. We reported on Technology Services’ implementation efforts in a previous follow-up report, issued in September 2020.
In our remaining follow-up effort for the “Data Centers” audit report issued in January 2019, we determined the airport’s Business Technologies Division fully implemented five of the seven recommendations it agreed to in the original audit report. It has not yet implemented the other two recommendations. Therefore, despite Business Technologies’ efforts, auditors determined the risks associated with the audit team’s initial findings have not been fully mitigated. As a result, the Audit Services Division may revisit these risk areas in future audits to ensure the city takes appropriate corrective action.
The Highlights page in this report provides background and summary information about the original audit and the completed follow-up effort. Following the Highlights page is a detailed implementation status update for each recommendation. We have communicated separately with the Business Technologies Division about the status of additional recommendations we reported confidentially because of their sensitive nature.
I would like to express our sincere appreciation to the airport personnel in the Business Technologies Division who assisted us throughout the audit and the follow-up process. For any questions, please feel free to contact me at 720-913-5000.
Denver Auditor,
Timothy O'Brien, CPA
AUDITOR TIMOTHY O'BRIEN, CPA
Denver Auditor
Denver Auditor´s Office
201 W. Colfax Ave. #705 Denver, CO 80202
Email: auditor@denvergov.org
Call: (720) 913-5000
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