CYBERSECURITY AND THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY The U.S. depends on the construction industry for everything, from new homes to the infrastructure the country needs to function every day. In addition to keeping its physical assets safe, the industry must keep its digital assets safe, too. This article is an overview of cyber risk throughout the construction industry, an overview of attacks and suggestions for preventing them. THE BASICS Cyberattacks are nothing new. For years, contractors have been targeted by data breaches, phishing theft, ransomware attacks and theft of sensitive information. In recent years, cyberattacks have begun to include industrial espionage and disruptions related to geopolitical struggles. The stress and financial burdens from a large-scale ransomware event can be severe. It can also damage your brand. Why is the construction industry such an attractive target for criminals? • Many contractors don’t invest in cybersecurity infrastructure because they don’t see it as a need. Engineering and construction companies are often already operating on narrow margins, and they also don’t want to spend money and time on something that seems unnecessary. But any company that ignores cybersecurity leaves itself open to a potential attack. Cybercriminals look for easy targets and the potential for a big payoff. That description fits far too many construction companies. • Some attacks are politically motivated attempts to get sensitive information. If nation-states want information about infrastructure, intellectual property or public works, the construction industry is a weak link. Cybercriminals are motivated to look for proprietary information and intellectual property. This can include security information and construction plans and designs. • New technologies can be risky. Engineering and construction services have been quick to use technologies that increase efficiency, productivity and connectivity, such as advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, cyber-physical systems, drones, machine learning and robotics. Entire new industries, such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and the Internet of Things (IoT), have become part of the construction industry. For example, BIM was valued at $7.9 billion in 2023 and could be worth more 32
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