There’s building going on in the cloud. As in other industries, the construction industry has gone digital. And that means there’s also new risks to consider.
Construction companies are relying more on iPads and similar devices to manage projects on site without traditional pens, paper, printed data reports or even blueprints. The entire building plan can be shared digitally between architect, client and construction company. Models can even be “constructed” and manipulated visually online. The ability to move decision making out of the office and into the field is a tremendous advantage for construction companies, and those working onsite are typically quick to embrace this new way of working. Construction and business apps make the transition not only easy, but actually quite exciting right from the start—which is great, but can also lead the team to overlook the inherent cysbersecurity dangers that also exist.
Given the very real risk of hacking, construction companies need to begin considering their construction sites as “borderless,” meaning you must not only secure the physical building site, but also your online sites. Consider the rise in ransomware alone—when cybercriminals lock down information and demand money for its release. What if someone stole online blueprints and actually changed them or threatened to delete them all together? Could you recover the originals? If you’re ordering and documenting supplies and construction materials online, what happens if these records are stolen?
Of course, these are only two potential scenarios. Unfortunately, the cybercriminals are pretty clever, so there are also many more—but MJ’s construction experts are ready to review them all with you. Not only can we suggest appropriate cyber protection policies ideal for construction, but we’ll also share best practices to try to prevent a breach in the first place. To get started, simply contact William Moore at 317-805-7626 or william.moore@mjinsurance.com.
