Cyber security fears could dumb down smart buildings

Growing concerns over cyber security breaches could stunt the development of smart buildings if developers avoid connected technology altogether, warns JLL’s head of technology consultation. Akshay Thakur said that, while more work needs to be done to protect smart buildings as connected devices “seep out of the IT domain and into the more traditional building services domain and wider real estate industry”, there are ways to mitigate against attacks that do not require attempts to “completely avoid” new, connected technology. Speaking on this week’s episode of Tech Talk Radio, Thakur said: “Avoiding the adoption of connected technologies such as sensors and internet-enabled devices limits new experiences within buildings such as meeting room booking systems and seamless entry.” On top of physical security such as guards and closing key areas of buildings off to avoid an internal hack or breach, Thakur said that the first step to protection was to apply the same rules to connected building services as those employed to protect mobile phone and laptops. He added that regularly changing passwords on large, integrated systems is one of the simplest ways to protect the building. “We conduct a lot of cyber audits for major clients,” he said. “These are audits of the building systems themselves locked away in electrical and mechanical cabinets. We find a lot of old modems connected to old systems that can be dialled into easily with default passwords. So often the issue comes down to complacency. But there is no need to avoid connected technology entirely because that will slow down the progress around smart buildings and innovation.” Thakur added that despite the heightened risk around cyber security breaches in smart buildings – where technically a building could be hacked in its entirety – it could soon become the case that the smarter the building, the more secure it is. The added risk means that good cyber security systems are built in from the outset. The danger comes when a building is not perceived to be “smart” and is therefore not approached with the same level of caution. “By virtue of how tech has evolved over time, if you are looking to put modern technology into a building now, it will be connected into other systems,” warned Thakur. “So even if you are not building a ‘smart building’, if you are using any technology there will still be an aspect of smart that you need to protect.” To send feedback, e-mail emily.wright@egi.co.uk or tweet @EmilyW_9 or @estatesgazette