A Digital World Brings New Security Concerns to Building Managers

The previous two decades have seen an increase in building management security threats. Historically, building security systems were far too complex for most criminals to crack, but that has changed with the growth of knowledge among hackers. Today, the most important role of the building manager is security, and these tasks continue to evolve in complexity.

Buildings are vulnerable to cyber-attack for a variety of reasons. For one thing, the buildings themselves offer a back-door entry into the company’s wider IT systems, allowing trespassers access to a lot more than the structure itself. Part of the problem is that many companies, even large and powerful ones, still run their building services and their IT departments on different planes.

Fortunately, modern technology is making the integration of all these pieces possible. And one key is the ability to not only react to threats, but also to predict and prevent them. IoT has become critically important in a world of rising threats to building safety. Smart sensors and video analytics can scan every bit of data available and in essence prevent such breaches before they occur.

This integrated way of thinking has led to the birth of the digital building, which unites the building infrastructure within a single IP network. This means improved security, but also efficiency in other building management areas, such as energy use and workforce engagement.

In the intelligent digital building, a single network collects data on the behavior of every visitor and employee in the building and gathers insight to help managers improve the use of the space, which in turns generates knowledge that informs security measures, to a large degree.

With this holistic approach, countless sensors can cover every square inch of a space and send real-time alerts in the case of any abnormal activity or unauthorized access. This level of intelligence tracks every activity going on at any given moment in a building. It is important to remember, however, that the consequences of a breach in a digital building could be dire, as a hacker would potentially have access to every aspect of functionality, putting a company at the mercy of such criminal behavior.

So, while technology keeps changing, one thing stays the same—businesses and building managers must stay one step ahead of hackers to remain truly secure. However, there is no doubt that the advent of built-in and integrated cyber resilience is transforming building management, especially with regard to building security.

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