Many of the construction businesses we speak to feel pretty unconcerned about cyber security. They feel safe because most of their work takes place offline so they assume that they’re not a huge target for cyber threats.
You may feel the same.
But if you’re using any of the below tools in your daily work, you could well be at risk from a cyber attack.
Check the following to see if they’re relevant to you.
Tools you may be using in your construction business
- BIM (Building Information Modelling), 3D Printing, or CAD programs – If a hacker wanted to, they could potentially change digital models and specifications to change and ultimately weaken the structure, meaning there could be a real physical danger to your onsite employees and the end-users. They may even steal proprietary designs, impacting your competitiveness in the market and causing you a lot of headaches and legal fees.
- Drones – If you use drones, perhaps in surveying, hackers could gain access to the drone footage and could expose commercially sensitive information such as site safety measures or building layouts. Hacking a drone isn’t technically very difficult, and many drone operators leave their drones wide open to attack.
- Staff management software – If anyone gets unauthorised access to your staff’s shifts, employment information, and personal details it could mean simple consequences from a muddled rota through to hugely problematic identity theft.
- Secure entry systems – If protecting facilities from unauthorised visitors is important, bear in mind that security card passes are at risk of being cloned and digital locks could be controlled remotely. This could also lock out employees, leading to costly downtime.
- Customer information – Consider the sort of data you hold about your customers. It might include bank details and email addresses. When these are compromised, you risk real harm being inflicted on them by malicious individuals or organisations. There’s also the embarrassment of having to inform customers of what happened, impacting the organisation’s reputation and leading to a PR disaster.
- Cloud-based software – The increased popularity of cloud-based applications means an increased number of access points that cybercriminals can exploit. Hacks could result in compromised data and compliance failures, which could come with large fines and loss of consumer trust.
- IoT (Internet of Things) applications – IoT devices are always on and rarely monitored. Without the security and visibility of more conventionally connected equipment, they’re more prone to hijacking and exposing the wider network to threats. Hackers could take over any IoT device, from ordinary ones such as smartphones, refrigerators, and smart TVs, to security cameras and nuclear plants.
As you’ll probably agree, there’s more to think about when it comes to staying ahead of cybercriminals.
How Cyber Safe is your Architectural, Design or Engineering Firm?
75% of businesses in the construction industry have been hit by cyber-attacks in the last year… how secure is your firm?
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