Cyber resilience refers to an organization’s ability to protect against, respond to, and recover from cybersecurity threats. It enables organizations to effectively manage their digital assets and reduce or even eliminate production downtime as a result of a data breach or other cyber attack. For those in the construction industry, the risk of cyberattacks has not only increased in recent years, but it is also the number one risk cited by nearly half of commercial construction professionals in a recent survey. 

Results from the survey showed an increase in new technology for improved safety (46%),  quality of work (46%), and collaboration and efficiency (44%). As new technologies are introduced, the threat landscape widens, leaving construction companies vulnerable to malicious activities from cyber criminals.

Cyberattacks on construction: Real-world examples 

Cyberattacks don’t always make headlines, but some certainly do. Here are a few examples of recent attacks in the construction industry. 

• October 2023: Simpson Manufacturing “experienced disruptions in its Information Technology (IT) infrastructure and applications resulting from a cybersecurity incident. . . The incident has caused, and is expected to continue to cause, disruption to parts of the Company’s business operations.”
• December 2023: Austal USA, a ship-building company and defense contractor fell victim to a ransomware attack from a known cybercrime syndicate known as Hunters International.
• February 2024: “KHS&S Contractors, a prominent company in the construction industry based in the USA, is allegedly facing this ransomware group which claims access to an undisclosed amount of data.”

These are just a few examples of attacks on large, well-known construction contractors. Attacks against small- to mid-size construction companies rarely make headlines, but the risk is just as high, if not higher, than behemoth companies. Loss of production time, sensitive data, reputation, or money can cripple a small business. That is unless the company invests in the right technology and partnerships to improve their cyber resilience. 

Importance of cyber resilience in construction 

Cyber resilience is the key to withstanding the cybersecurity storm and protecting sensitive data and proprietary information. Construction professionals are no strangers to managing numerous, often complex, projects throughout the year. From new construction to repairs or rebuilds associated with natural disasters, infrastructure, and more, the need for high-quality, reliable construction is undeniable. But what happens when a contractor faces a ransomware attack that sidelines their business and exposes their client’s data to bad actors? At best, the company loses production time and possibly cash but is able to recover. At worst, the company is forced to shut down. 

So what can you do? 

Tips to increase cyber resilience 

At GainSide, we believe in the power of simplicity. There’s no need to make your cybersecurity more complicated than it needs to be, but it still needs to be robust to deliver greater resilience. We recommend covering all of your major systems and risk points, including: 

• Secure internet access 
• Email/information protection 
• Email backup 
• Data drive backup
• Antivirus with detection and response 
• Training and testing 
• Mobile device management 

Antivirus is often the most basic of protection measures, but it’s not enough to protect your construction business. Between clients, subcontractors, transient workers, suppliers, and other partners, the volume of people, data, and technology used to simply run the business necessitates a higher level of security across the full threat landscape. 

To effectively improve cyber resilience within your construction business, leaders should adopt the following strategies: 

1. Conduct a risk assessment

Review your existing systems, access points, security training compliance, devices, drives, policies and procedures, and more to effectively identify any existing threats and gain a better understanding of the threat landscape within your organization. We recommend that you conduct these assessments on a regular basis as new employees, clients, and technology will evolve over time, creating new or varied risks. 

2. Enhance access controls 

Many cybersecurity incidents occur as a result of weak or ineffective access control measures. Ensure you have a solid access control plan in place, including two-factor authentication, strong passwords, and a policy of Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP), which means users are granted permissions to access only the resources and authorizations needed to perform their specific job functions. 

3. Ensure regular data backups 

Regular data backups can help your team recover quickly from a cyberattack. In the event of a ransomware attack, for example, your team could wipe corrupted data in affected systems and restore a clean copy of your data, thereby reducing any downtime. 

4. Increase employee security awareness training

Employees are your greatest asset and your greatest risk. Without the proper training, your employees could inadvertently expose sensitive company information, including passwords that enable cybercriminals to access your backend systems. Help your employees become defenders of your business with regular security training.

5. Partner with GainSide for unparalleled cybersecurity and cyber resilience expertise 

The best intentions don’t always get the best results. You are an expert in construction. You may have the best intentions to protect your digital assets, but intentions only get you so far. If you’re like many construction companies we speak with, you don’t have the internal expertise or the time and resources to devote to continual cybersecurity protection. At Gainside, we are experts in cybersecurity and cyber resilience so you don’t have to be. We act as an extension of your team, shoring up risk points and helping your team achieve true cyber resilience. 

Ready to boost your cybersecurity and achieve cyber resilience? Let’s chat!