Keeping systems secure to keep the region moving

How RTD’s cybersecurity team protects digital tools and platforms

At RTD, technology helps keep the region connected, from trip planning and fare payment to real-time arrival information and service alerts. As more customers rely on digital tools and online platforms, protecting the systems that keep digital tools functioning has become increasingly important. With cyber threats rising across public agencies nationwide, RTD aims to help the community understand how cybersecurity supports safe, reliable service.

Behind the scenes, cybersecurity plays a critical role in safeguarding RTD’s technology. Latham Leonaitis, Senior Information Security Analyst at RTD, helps protect the agency’s systems by monitoring for threats and ensuring critical infrastructure remains secure. Daily, Leonaitis and his team monitor and respond to potential incidents and look for ways to strengthen RTD’s overall cybersecurity processes.

These efforts directly support the customer experience. The sooner cybersecurity risks are identified, the faster RTD can act to mitigate them and any potential impact they may have. While no system can eliminate all risk, early detection and proactive security measures help protect customer data and keep essential services like the Next Ride trip planning app and real-time information available and reliable.

RTD uses a wide range of technology to safeguard its data, including email protection, log analysis, antivirus tools, ransomware prevention, and established incident response processes. Leonaitis works to ensure RTD’s cybersecurity program remains flexible and continually improves to meet evolving threats and protect the systems customers depend on every day to make their connections.

Employees play a critical role in protecting RTD’s technology, particularly as phishing emails remain one of the most common ways cyber incidents begin. Staying alert to suspicious messages, reporting them to IT using the “Phish Alert” button in Outlook, avoiding unapproved software, and protecting passwords all help reduce risk.

Customers play an important role in protecting their personal information when using RTD services such as the NextRide app. Enabling multi-factor authentication, using strong and unique passwords or passkeys, avoiding password reuse, keeping devices fully updated, and securing home networks all help reduce the risk of unauthorized access as more services move online.

Cybersecurity at RTD is a shared responsibility. According to Leonaitis, “cybersecurity is not a one-time investment; it takes a committed team, better yet, a village to keep our systems safe.” Through continuous monitoring, proactive risk reduction, and security awareness from both employees and customers, RTD works to ensure its systems remain reliable and ready to move people across the region.