We’re becoming connected like never before. With our mobile devices, we can control just about everything with a swipe and a tap of our finger.
And we like it that way.
Smart homes and smart buildings are allowing us to control everything from our heating, lighting, and air conditioning, to our most sensitive customer data. All with nothing more than standard Internet access.
A recent survey showed that almost half of connected things in our homes are based on smart technology.
It all has a “coolness” factor to it. To be able to control anything from anywhere, it makes our lives easier. Unfortunately, few of us consider the potential cybersecurity risks that come along with it.
Imagine for a moment, a cybercriminal gaining control over the device that controls your building’s data center temperatures. Fans shut down. Servers overheat. The climate within the building becomes unbearable.
Bad, right? But it gets worse.
From there, they may also have a backdoor into your company data. They gain access to client files, sensitive data, financial records and more.
We understand it’s important to password protect our computers at work, the mobile devices we carry with us every day. But if a cybercriminal can bypass all of that easily and enters through an app controlling the lighting of your building with just a click of a button, your risks increase substantially.
There is no easy way to patch a system already in existence. To reduce vulnerabilities and create a smart building security plan involves thought and action on every level. Basic steps include:
Employing secure engineering and coding practices from the beginning with every system you build or third party program you buy into.
Scanning the application regularly to identify flaws as they are being used.
Implement IP address restrictions that allow building automation through standard mobile devices.
Stronger network security rules to be applied and used on all devices used within your company, including on location and remote employees.
