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Media Hub
Welcome to our media hub! Discover the latest updates and dive into stories showcasing our impact—past, present, and future.
"Denver cautions residents to be aware of cybersecurity scams"
"Published on January 19, 2025
DENVER – Denver’s Department of Technology Services is issuing a public warning about the increasing prevalence of cybersecurity scams that appear to have come from the City and County of Denver. These scams, which can take many forms, aim to steal personal or financial information.
The city is aware that some residents have received a text message this weekend that appears to have come from the City and County of Denver, with the city’s logo, and the subject being about an unpaid parking invoice. We can confirm that the City and County of Denver did not send this text but want to use this opportunity to remind residents to be aware of cybersecurity scams.
'Governments are a frequent target for bad actors, and we are tracking other municipalities that are also seeing similar phishing attacks,' said Merlin Namuth, Denver’s Chief Information Security Officer. 'As a city, we are always vigilant to these types of attacks.'
Some tips to help protect yourself include:
Be cautious of suspicious emails, texts, and calls – especially ones that express a sense of urgency or pressure.
Make sure to check the sender’s email address and all URLs to ensure that the communication is coming from the city: denvergov.org.
Never click on links or open attachments from unknown senders. If you are unsure if the sender is from the city, call 311.
Be cautious of unsolicited offers, donations, or requests for personal information.
Use strong, unique passwords for all online accounts.
Be mindful of what information you share online.
Report suspected scams to the appropriate authorities."
Click the link below to read the full article.
DENVER – Denver’s Department of Technology Services is issuing a public warning about the increasing prevalence of cybersecurity scams that appear to have come from the City and County of Denver. These scams, which can take many forms, aim to steal personal or financial information.
The city is aware that some residents have received a text message this weekend that appears to have come from the City and County of Denver, with the city’s logo, and the subject being about an unpaid parking invoice. We can confirm that the City and County of Denver did not send this text but want to use this opportunity to remind residents to be aware of cybersecurity scams.
'Governments are a frequent target for bad actors, and we are tracking other municipalities that are also seeing similar phishing attacks,' said Merlin Namuth, Denver’s Chief Information Security Officer. 'As a city, we are always vigilant to these types of attacks.'
Some tips to help protect yourself include:
Be cautious of suspicious emails, texts, and calls – especially ones that express a sense of urgency or pressure.
Make sure to check the sender’s email address and all URLs to ensure that the communication is coming from the city: denvergov.org.
Never click on links or open attachments from unknown senders. If you are unsure if the sender is from the city, call 311.
Be cautious of unsolicited offers, donations, or requests for personal information.
Use strong, unique passwords for all online accounts.
Be mindful of what information you share online.
Report suspected scams to the appropriate authorities."
Click the link below to read the full article.
"AI For Older Adults" - Senior Planet
"AI promises to change the way we live and work, but what is it really, and what does it mean for older adults?
This guide provides the facts about this new technology: the benefits, the risks, and how it can address the distinctive health-related, financial and lifestyle needs of people age 50+.
You may have heard about the rise of “artificial intelligence,” or AI, technology that is having an enormous impact on business and society right now. But what is it, and what does it mean in practical terms for the lifestyle of older adults?
What is AI? The term “artificial intelligence” (AI) refers to systems that can “learn” by recognizing patterns and can interact with humans using natural language. So the computer is smart like a human? Not exactly, despite decades of great science fiction that might make you think otherwise! AI uses vast amounts of data from the internet and elsewhere to anticipate the most likely response, so the responses can sound very well-informed and surprisingly human. But people and computers solve problems in very different ways.
How is AI changing the world? AI and its close cousin, “machine learning” (analyzing large data sets to find patterns and make predictions), are making a lot of things better behind the scenes. For example, this is the technology that: Allows banks to quickly spot patterns of fraud to protect consumers, and helps companies of all kinds operate more safely and efficiently. Empowers scientists to design and test new ideas for solving healthcare, energy, climate, and other problems faster, leading to the development of important breakthroughs. Promises to enable futuristic things like self-driving cars, robots, and “smart cities.” 55% of Americans said they regularly use AI (Pew Research, 2024) Does that surprise you?
One reason AI is so widely used is because it is already embedded in everyday services we’ve been using for years. It’s just getting more attention today..."
Explore the full resource below.
This guide provides the facts about this new technology: the benefits, the risks, and how it can address the distinctive health-related, financial and lifestyle needs of people age 50+.
You may have heard about the rise of “artificial intelligence,” or AI, technology that is having an enormous impact on business and society right now. But what is it, and what does it mean in practical terms for the lifestyle of older adults?
What is AI? The term “artificial intelligence” (AI) refers to systems that can “learn” by recognizing patterns and can interact with humans using natural language. So the computer is smart like a human? Not exactly, despite decades of great science fiction that might make you think otherwise! AI uses vast amounts of data from the internet and elsewhere to anticipate the most likely response, so the responses can sound very well-informed and surprisingly human. But people and computers solve problems in very different ways.
How is AI changing the world? AI and its close cousin, “machine learning” (analyzing large data sets to find patterns and make predictions), are making a lot of things better behind the scenes. For example, this is the technology that: Allows banks to quickly spot patterns of fraud to protect consumers, and helps companies of all kinds operate more safely and efficiently. Empowers scientists to design and test new ideas for solving healthcare, energy, climate, and other problems faster, leading to the development of important breakthroughs. Promises to enable futuristic things like self-driving cars, robots, and “smart cities.” 55% of Americans said they regularly use AI (Pew Research, 2024) Does that surprise you?
One reason AI is so widely used is because it is already embedded in everyday services we’ve been using for years. It’s just getting more attention today..."
Explore the full resource below.
"Digital Inclusion Efforts Awarded $125,000"
"Friends of DHA is one of five Colorado agencies selected to receive national grant funding
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that it has selected Denver Community Ventures - dba Friends of DHA, as one of five agencies in Colorado to receive a grant in the amount of $125,000 grant pursuant to the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).
“ACP directly influences Denver Housing Authority (DHA) families in desperate need of digital access,” Annie Hancock, Director of Resident and Community Connections said. “The provision of affordable internet through the ACP is the first step to help DHA residents remain in communication compliance for federal and state benefit updates, job applications, online school, and health care telehealth models.”
These FCC Funds will be utilized to conduct digital campaigns, door-to-door canvassing, operate phone banks, distribute direct mail, and host ACP application enrollment and outreach events. This funding is a major opportunity to move forward Friends of DHA’s digital inclusion plan.
The FCC targeted $66 million in outreach grants to partner organizations nationwide to serve as trusted community messengers for the ACP in historically underserved and Tribal communities. More than 350 grant applications were reviewed and ultimately 197 applicants were selected to represent 50 states and territories to pursue a broad range of outreach projects.
Created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the ACP provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households may also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 towards the purchase price." - Danielle Dascalos
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that it has selected Denver Community Ventures - dba Friends of DHA, as one of five agencies in Colorado to receive a grant in the amount of $125,000 grant pursuant to the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).
“ACP directly influences Denver Housing Authority (DHA) families in desperate need of digital access,” Annie Hancock, Director of Resident and Community Connections said. “The provision of affordable internet through the ACP is the first step to help DHA residents remain in communication compliance for federal and state benefit updates, job applications, online school, and health care telehealth models.”
These FCC Funds will be utilized to conduct digital campaigns, door-to-door canvassing, operate phone banks, distribute direct mail, and host ACP application enrollment and outreach events. This funding is a major opportunity to move forward Friends of DHA’s digital inclusion plan.
The FCC targeted $66 million in outreach grants to partner organizations nationwide to serve as trusted community messengers for the ACP in historically underserved and Tribal communities. More than 350 grant applications were reviewed and ultimately 197 applicants were selected to represent 50 states and territories to pursue a broad range of outreach projects.
Created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the ACP provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households may also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 towards the purchase price." - Danielle Dascalos
"Turning the Page on Chapter 11: Let’s Break Free from ‘Big Internet’"
"Earlier this year, Starry announced a company restructuring intended to put us in the best position to spread #HappyInterneting for many years to come. Our primary goals were to stabilize our cost structure, reduce our debt, simplify our organizational structure and develop cost efficiencies across the business.
We are happy to share that we have officially completed this process!
Today, Starry is a stronger and more efficient company. As we chart our path forward, we plan to take #HappyInterneting to a new level. We’re focused on increasing our industry-leading customer satisfaction scores, rolling out new products and services, and most importantly, helping consumers break free from the Big Internet monopoly.
The road to building a better ISP has not always been easy. But through it all, Starry has maintained our focus on serving and delighting our customers because we fundamentally believe that your internet service experience shouldn’t suck.
We built Starry because we knew we could do better. And, as an industry, we have to do better because internet access is not a luxury, it’s an absolute necessity in order to thrive.
For the last nine years, we’ve been committed to this principle of doing better, of delighting our customers and making broadband internet access more affordable and accessible, for everyone. None of that changes as we successfully emerge from this restructuring process.
I promise that Starry will find new and more ways to delight our customers and change the industry, for the better. We’re excited for the future.
Thanks for being on this journey with us. Here’s to many, many more years of #HappyInterneting."
We are happy to share that we have officially completed this process!
Today, Starry is a stronger and more efficient company. As we chart our path forward, we plan to take #HappyInterneting to a new level. We’re focused on increasing our industry-leading customer satisfaction scores, rolling out new products and services, and most importantly, helping consumers break free from the Big Internet monopoly.
The road to building a better ISP has not always been easy. But through it all, Starry has maintained our focus on serving and delighting our customers because we fundamentally believe that your internet service experience shouldn’t suck.
We built Starry because we knew we could do better. And, as an industry, we have to do better because internet access is not a luxury, it’s an absolute necessity in order to thrive.
For the last nine years, we’ve been committed to this principle of doing better, of delighting our customers and making broadband internet access more affordable and accessible, for everyone. None of that changes as we successfully emerge from this restructuring process.
I promise that Starry will find new and more ways to delight our customers and change the industry, for the better. We’re excited for the future.
Thanks for being on this journey with us. Here’s to many, many more years of #HappyInterneting."
"Comcast donates $100,000 to enhance and expand the Denver Housing Authority’s Technology Hubs."
"Today, Comcast announced that in five years, nearly 33,000 families in Colorado, or nearly 132,000 Colorado residents, have signed up for Internet Essentials. In Denver, 8,000 families, or 32,000 residents, have been connected. Nationally, Internet Essentials has connected 750,000 families, or 3 million Americans, to the internet at home.
In addition, in July, Comcast expanded the program’s eligibility to households receiving HUD-housing assistance, including public housing, Housing Choice Voucher, and Multifamily programs. There are nearly 50,000 HUD-assisted households in Colorado that stand to benefit from this expansion, and up to 2 million in Comcast’s service area across the country. This accounts for approximately 40 percent of all its households, according to HUD. Now even more individuals, including seniors and veterans, can apply for the program.
Play Video
The company also announced a grant of $100,000 to the Denver Housing Authority (DHA) to upgrade the technology equipment and resources available in five "Internet Essentials Technology Hubs" located in DHA Opportunity Centers. The donation will also enable the Tech Hubs to host digital literacy training and computer classes, in person and virtually, for more than 17,000 DHA households.
David L. Cohen, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer of Comcast Corporation, made these announcements today alongside Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock, Olympic Medalist and Internet Essentials Spokesperson Jackie Joyner-Kersee, HUD Region VIII Director Rick Garcia, and DHA Executive Director Ismael Guerrero..."
In addition, in July, Comcast expanded the program’s eligibility to households receiving HUD-housing assistance, including public housing, Housing Choice Voucher, and Multifamily programs. There are nearly 50,000 HUD-assisted households in Colorado that stand to benefit from this expansion, and up to 2 million in Comcast’s service area across the country. This accounts for approximately 40 percent of all its households, according to HUD. Now even more individuals, including seniors and veterans, can apply for the program.
Play Video
The company also announced a grant of $100,000 to the Denver Housing Authority (DHA) to upgrade the technology equipment and resources available in five "Internet Essentials Technology Hubs" located in DHA Opportunity Centers. The donation will also enable the Tech Hubs to host digital literacy training and computer classes, in person and virtually, for more than 17,000 DHA households.
David L. Cohen, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer of Comcast Corporation, made these announcements today alongside Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock, Olympic Medalist and Internet Essentials Spokesperson Jackie Joyner-Kersee, HUD Region VIII Director Rick Garcia, and DHA Executive Director Ismael Guerrero..."
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