CAFM & IT
used to gain entry to financial systems to steal the credit card information for over 40 million people.
Insecure protocols – Exploiting insecure industrial protocols is another way attackers can disrupt operations. This is particularly true for building automation systems. Popular protocols like BACnet and LonWorks are not inherently secure and, like protocols used in the manufacturing sector, have their own vulnerabilities. Sophisticated attackers are aware of these gaps and have easy access to the documentation needed to construct commands designed to disrupt the operation of controllers and other devices.
Controlling cyber risk Good cybersecurity starts with people, process and technology. Building owner-operators should be aware that cybersecurity is a risk that they can’t afford to ignore; therefore, making important hires of people who are adept at handling cybersecurity issues and following a process when new connected technology is introduced. From a security technology perspective, a key part to any cybersecurity strategy, especially when it comes to building automation and adding connectivity to any environment, must be visibility. After all, as the old saying goes, “you can’t protect what you can’t see.”
“It’s not just the physical surveillance visibility, but all the potential ‘ins’ an
attacker can use to gain a foothold into a building and its systems.”
variety of applications. ARC sees the adoption of a wider range of cheaper, smarter, more pervasive sensors.
Aside from the functions performed by the systems and their unique sensing requirements, it will be increasingly difficult to distinguish between building automation systems and enterprise-level systems from a computing perspective.
The rise of OT-level cyberattacks – Cyberattacks on smart buildings, along with related attacks on smart cities and infrastructure, can have wide-ranging impacts and can pose risks to human safety. An attack in a large public building or structure (particularly in a densely populated area), could potentially cause chaos.
Cyber-physical assets in smart buildings, cities, and infrastructure are becoming more distributed, particularly when you look at the new trend towards monitoring entire fleets of buildings from a centralised location. On a campus or in a medical complex, these systems cover multiple city blocks and can be crucial to the overall functioning of a city or community.
Expanded attack surface – Today’s smart buildings feature many systems and interconnections. These broaden the threat landscape for an attack. In the case of the Target retail chain hack, the HVAC system was accessed and
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Moreover, it’s not just the physical surveillance visibility, but all the potential ‘ins’ an attacker can use to gain a foothold into a building and its systems: connection points, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth enabled devices, email, ports accidentally left open, and the list goes on. This is further evidence of IT and OT convergence, which are still viewed as separate entities. As part of the visibility process, this mindset needs to change because the increasingly connected buildings of now, and the future, will blur the lines between the two.
The tangled webs of connectivity need just one exposed attack path for attackers to navigate their way through an entire system. So, owner-operators should look for solutions that integrate IT/OT/IoT in order to give them the most complete view of their building automation systems environments with centralised management and the ability to continuously monitor for vulnerabilities, threats and anomalies which could point to cyberattacks in the building automation environment.
As a result of automation, buildings can be more environmentally friendly, efficient and comfortable. But these connected facilities could equally become dangerous in the hands of a determined attacker. Therefore, cybersecurity must be one of the main considerations given to any building automation project, putting the ‘smart’ into smart buildings.
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