Construction may not be the first industry you think of when considering an industry with high cybersecurity risk.
However, cybersecurity in the construction industry must scale to the rapidness of the sector’s digital transformation, as it embraces everything from Internet of Things devices to automation.
Construction cyber risk comes alongside a want to improve every business facet, from sustainability, procurement, and on-site labor efforts.
Are these efforts worth it as construction company cyber-attacks increase in number with the hopes technology will aid bottom lines — not put them in danger?
Why Construction Companies Are in Trouble
The rate at which construction and infrastructure (C&I) industry analysts identify and remedy cybersecurity threats isn’t matching the rate they’re incoming.
Construction enterprises want the benefits of technology implementation without any of the negatives of cybersecurity negligence.
However, threat actors capitalize on investment delays, supply chain shortages, and other novel trends causing inconsistency.
While construction firms don’t have solid teams or business continuity plans, they can extract and exploit data from insecure systems.
Hackers frequently invest time and energy into hacking medical infrastructure because of the value of health data — the same could happen to construction.
These are only a few examples of personally identifiable information and other data criminals could take that would get them the most bang for their buck:
- Supplier and vendor intellectual property and contracts
- Project bid information
- Employee and contractor information
- Inventory and material lists and prices
- Data from employee devices like work orders from tablets or phones
If C&I companies focus on builds and capital projects focusing on smart, data-centric, interconnected tech, it benefits hackers to steal blueprints and models to make long-term plans for infiltrating critical infrastructure.
It’s a free insight into future financial, medical, and transportation buildings, expanding the perception of how much impact one construction company breach could have.
Or, hackers could put it up for bid to more dangerous organizations. Hackers see every point of entry if they already know how builders will forge it.
What Construction Cyber Risks Hurt the Most
Citizens perceive construction projects to happen at a snail’s pace — a misconception damaging the sector’s reputation. Most stops in a project are related to external factors outside the company’s control.
Adding cyber threats to the equation could harm progress even more. The most prominent cyber attacks in the sector will compromise information, time, and public perception — all amounting to hefty dollar signs.
Instead of spending those dollars on ransomware, boards must create dedicated teams or hire reliable third parties to dock up quality risk management and data governance strategies against these top threats:
- Ransomware
- Phishing and its variants
- Malware and viruses
- Social engineering and targeting
- Payment disruptions, like fraudulent wire transfers
- Distributed denial-of-service attacks to interrupt operations
Then, they can instate cybersecurity awareness training while teams incorporate higher-security operational tools to prepare for a full-fledged construction company cyber attack.
How to Increase Cybersecurity in the Construction Industry
Construction companies can start by analyzing tech stacks, using reputable software that stays regularly updated and uses heavy authentication measures.
Data minimization can ensure only necessary information gets collected, and it stays behind encryption protocols or immutable storage solutions with a regular backup schedule to fight against ransomware.
Imagine losing digital twins and building project-critical information modeling (BIM) data. A suspected growth in the BIM market — worth 21.15 billion by 2032 — makes it prime target material.
The C&I industry has a wide threat surface area because of the unpredictable nature of the labor force and job availability.
That kind of ambiguity leaves a lot of opportunities for hackers — especially if contractors still need to receive training on basic cyber hygiene for the job.
The mentality also extends to third parties. Construction companies must review supply chain management and ensure every partner has thorough cybersecurity.
As they say, you’re only as strong as the weakest link, and cybersecurity embraces that literally.
Cybersecurity insurance is another option for businesses. It may only be suitable for some situations, as mixed reviews lead most organizations not to consider it.
However, construction companies may have assets worth protecting with this insurance option.
Reinforcing the Construction Sector’s Digital Walls
Builders know how to build stable structures on the ground. It’s time to translate that urgency into digital landscapes to protect real buildings.
Exploring avenues to fortify the biggest oversights and vulnerabilities in cybersecurity in the construction industry will make the future more stable and secure from attacks and breaches.