Construction Cyber Defense

Posted by Steadfast Entities on

Cybersecurity in Construction

When most people think of hackers, they usually think about crashing computers and stolen personal information. 

In the construction industry, though, hackers also have the potential to jeopardize job safety, steal personal data, and corrupt the structural integrity of building materials. As many construction firms move their business online and turn to Contech to make their job sites safer and more efficient, cybersecurity is becoming a top priority. 

Life or Death Vulnerabilities

Automation is more and more common, and is often used when creating building materials (like when mixing concrete or measuring chemicals in a manufacturing process), and post manufacturing (load testing, structural integrity tests, and surface hardness inspections). Most of the data collected and used in this automation process is stored on cloud and internet based technologies, which are the most vulnerable to hacking. 

For example, say hackers target a bridge building project. If they attacked the automated system that accounts for the bridge’s structural integrity and the company didn’t catch the change in numbers, the project could completely collapse – figuratively and literally – putting lives and the company’s reputation at risk. 

Growing Defenses

To prevent such scenarios, companies are starting to increase their defenses against these attacks. Many Contech companies are growing their cybersecurity teams while construction firms both large and small are investing in cyber protection software. Cybersecurity in construction even caught national attention in March 2022, when the Biden administration called together over 100 different sectors to warn them of the potential of a Russian cyber attack in response to recent U.S. sanctions. 

Where to Start

So what can construction companies do to protect themselves? 

  • Start by improving awareness and regularly training staff to look for suspicious emails, links, and online activities, and make sure they know how to report these to your IT team immediately. 
  • Protect your data with multi-factor authentication when possible. If something is only password protected, use passphrases instead of passwords (making it much harder for hackers to infiltrate your systems), adding spaces, numbers, and symbols to maximize protection. 
  • Make sure that any programs you’re using to store and send data have comprehensive security measures in place.
  • And finally, consider investing in cyber insurance, which tends to be relatively inexpensive and will cover you in the case of a data breach. 

As the construction industry moves towards more technology in the worksite, there is no doubt that we will face more and more threats from hacking. However, if we all work together, we can protect our projects, our workers, and our livelihoods from cyber attacks.

The 5 Biggest Construction Cyber Risks

Posted by Steadfast Entities on

October is cybersecurity month, so we’re spotlighting the risks construction companies are now facing and how you can prevent them! 

While this hasn’t always been the top concern for construction leaders, cybersecurity is quickly rising in the ranks as more and more construction firms are targeted in malware and ransomware attacks.

Why is construction a target? 

Construction data doesn’t include the same amount of compromising client information as data from a bank might. While this seems like a good thing at first, it also means there are significantly fewer regulations around privacy and data security in the construction industry. 

At the same time, technology is exploding with new possibilities for the future of construction. Without these important security regulations in place, however, these new technologies present a big risk to an enterprising construction tech company.

What are the 5 biggest risks?

  1. Phishing is when someone uses a fake email address, posing as someone trusted, to try to get information from your organization. Rushed employees might overlook the red flags and provide them what they need, compromising your organization. 
  1. Domain imposters purchase domain names similar to your own or to a trusted partner, then email from them. Even if it’s someone you don’t recognize, the domain name creates a false sense of trust. 
  1. Password guessing via computers can also be surprisingly easy, allowing a hacker access to a legitimate employee’s account. From there, a hacker can send emails or access sensitive information.
  1. Ransomware is the scariest of the bunch. After gaining access to your construction company’s system (possibly using one of the methods above), the hacker will block access and demand a ransom for operations to resume. 
  1. Fraudulent wire transfers can also devastate a company. Using one of the above methods along with social engineering (manipulating people into doing what you want), an unsuspecting employee could transfer money to a hacker, all while thinking they were doing their job to keep the company running smoothly.

How do I protect my company?

You’re probably already very familiar with locking and securing your physical equipment. So now you need to learn how to be just as vigilant with your data. 

  • Learn about cybersecurity (by reading articles like this!) and stay on top of the latest hacking methods. 
  • Teach yourself and your staff to recognize suspicious domains and email addresses. Nothing is so urgent that you can’t double-check the sender’s request! 
  • Create strong passwords and enable multi-factor authentication.
  • Set up cybersecurity software, like email spam filters and malware protection.
  • Keep backups of all your data so you won’t be vulnerable to ransomware. 
  • Consider cybersecurity insurance or a third-party cybersecurity company. 

Some of these protections can be set up in just minutes! Protecting yourself and your business is easy when you get in the habit of good security. Explore cybersecurity more at Cox Blue.