U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper on Tuesday said he supported taking action against international cybercriminals and the nations that harbor them while touring the National Cybersecurity Center in Colorado Springs.

A cyberattack on Friday was the largest ransomware attack on record, affecting businesses in at least 17 countries. It was yet another example of the kind of threat Hickenlooper was concerned about as Colorado governor.

He was integrally involved in creating the National Cybersecurity Center, a nonprofit that coordinates cybersecurity efforts between private businesses, governments and the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. Along with its mission to train the next generation of cybersecurity leaders, the center is aiming to make cybersecurity more accessible for small businesses and local governments. 

Hickenlooper said he hopes the center can help meet a nationwide need to respond to cyberattacks. 

“We’re in a cyber war right now, and we don’t have acceptable responses for these breaches that we’re having to go through,” Hickenlooper said. “And that’s got to change.” 

He said he supported taking stronger action against nations, like Russia, that harbor cybercriminals. “You’ve got to be able to push back,” he said. 

U.S. officials have said that that multiple attacks, including the major one over the weekend, have been linked to Russia, and the Biden administration earlier this year levied sanctions against the former Cold War adversary. 

Even as the threat of cyberattack grows, the former brewery owner said he was wary about passing any cybersecurity legislation that would be expensive for small and mid-sized businesses. He said policymakers should instead focus on educating small businesses and under-resourced local governments about safe cybersecurity practices. 

That’s where the National Cybersecurity Center can help, and where Hickenlooper said the focus has been “from the very beginning.” Hickenlooper, a Democrat, signed a bill in 2016 that provided funding for the center, which was placed in Colorado Springs in part because of the strong military presence already in the city. 

Five years later, Hickenlooper, alongside Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers and UCCS Chancellor Venkat Reddy, toured a new-and-improved center with a high-tech, contemporary aesthetic that could make a Silicon Valley startup envious.

Glass-walled meeting and work rooms have color coordinated layouts of blue, yellow and orange. The breakroom is centered around a pingpong table, and smaller rooms along the wall have large beanbag chairs in them. On the adjacent wall, a lively blue, green and yellow mural overlooks the kitchen.  

“The feel of this is so vibrant,” Hickenlooper said.

Seeing the new renovations made Tuesday one of the most exciting days he’s had since winning his U.S. Senate seat last November, he said. 

Sprawling, unfinished spaces inside the facility will eventually be converted into workspaces for UCCS and the Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center and UCCS.

UCCS will convert 36,000 square feet into classrooms, offices and labs for its cybersecurity program, which last year received a $3.35 million grant from the U.S. National Security Agency. For now, its polished concrete floors are partly covered with rows of office supplies and furniture.

The Space ISAC is a separate nonprofit that aims to coordinate collaboration across the global space industry and respond to threats.