Time to get Serious About Security

Time to get Serious About Security

We’ve raised an important issue for building contractors in this month’s edition of the CIBSE Journal. As our industry starts to deploy more projects onto an IP network, do we have the relevant knowledge of IP networking to do this securely?

Lack of networking security is an issue that we see will grow and grow. In recent months we’ve seen a number of high profile building hacks that have hit the headlines. One of Google’s Australian offices was hacked into in 2013, the hackers were able to download floor plans and access the building’s controls. In December 2013 malicious hackers ‘compromised’ an estimated 40 million customer credit card details of US discount store Target.

It’s alleged that the Target hack was executed through a remote access connection set up by a HVAC company that provides remote monitoring into large refrigeration units. Whilst the details of the Target hack are still sketchy, an investigation is still ongoing, we are certain that the Google hack was delivered by an unsecured ‘back door’ into the company’s BMS.

Does this mean that BMS systems are inherently unsecured?

Absolutely not, what it highlights is that our industry’s attitudes to security matters needs to change. We’ve raised this issue in this month’s edition of the CIBSE Journal, the trade journal for building services engineers.

We’ve helped many BMS and M&E contractors ensure that their projects are deployed safely and securely. Our Network Design Validation Service helps reduce the risks of problems occurring to your projects, and can ease the deployment of the project too. Contact us on 01858 438 550 for more information about our Network Design Validation Service.