Tomorrow’s challenges can only be solved with intelligent, networked buildings, so called smart buildings. Networking encompasses all parts of a building – from the electricity supply, taking account of regenerative energy (smart grid), via safety and security technology and operational regulation through interconnected building-automation systems, to control via mobile devices. The prerequisite for all this is systems interoperability, the only way network risks can be mastered.
Passwords are outdated and no longer adequate to protect a business’ IT infrastructure and data assets. To resolve this, companies must move towards more heightened security measures, such as using employees’ physical identities and biometric data to authenticate entry to corporate buildings, networks and devices. Once, gaining access to an organisation’s headquarters through hand or fingerprint scanning seemed like something only needed for top-secret offices such as MI5, or in Mission Impossible films. However, thanks to the increasing amount of data stored on company servers, it is becoming a necessity for most organisations to secure their offices and data centres.
As we build out 5G infrastructure and applications, with more connected devices and data than ever before, we must all do everything we can to build and operate trusted, reliable networks that minimize our exposure to cyberattacks and espionage. The question, as ever, is how. TIA CEO Dave Stehlin calls for the use of industry-driven standards and programs to protect the security of the supply chain.
In today’s multigenerational workforce, professionals over the age of 30 are more likely to adopt cybersecurity best practices than their younger colleagues who have grown up with technology, are concerned by the cybersecurity skills shortages in their organizations — and are more likely to pay hackers’ ransom demands. This insight comes from research recently conducted by the Security division of NTT Ltd., a leading global technology services company, regarding generational attitudes toward cybersecurity. Among the more than 2,000 professionals surveyed, nearly 700 respondents – all under 30 – worked outside of IT in management and decision-making positions.
According to the World Economic Forum, cyberattacks are one of the top 10 global risks of highest concern in the next decade with an estimated price tag of $90 trillion if cyber-security efforts do not keep pace with technological change. The next victim of cyberattacks could be buildings. Digitising buildings is a major trend, but it comes with new security issues, according to Frost & Sullivan’s IT/OT Security Convergence for Building Technologies report.
In a mere four years, more than one billion users will rely on 5G. The emerging fifth-generation broadband network promises speeds at least seven times faster than the average 4G LTE browsing experience. While the average 4G browsing speeds run at an average of 56 Mbps, 5G would bump speeds up to 490 Mbps. That increased speed and powerful connection means big things for businesses seeking to pull off competitive digital transformations. But a broader, faster network also brings greater risk. Cybercriminals are always on the lookout for new, sophisticated ways to attack, so they’ll naturally take advantage of 5G’s promise.
Threat hunting is a focused and iterative approach used to proactively detect and eliminate threats that may have evaded traditional security tools. These threats include attacks or malware that infiltrate a business or organization’s network, leading to stolen intellectual property or personal information of customers and employees. As the complexity of network architecture has increased, the sophistication of “bad actors” perpetrating cyber-crimes has followed suit, making threat hunting an important and fast-growing element of the cyber security landscape.
Smart homes are not just smart thermostats and bulbs, but also personal security. A new collaboration between RapidSOS, an emergency technology company, and 911inform, a cloud-based notification and security management platform for buildings and municipalities, will connect smart buildings with 9-1-1 dispatchers during a crisis.
As vehicles, buildings, and in some cases, entire cities strive to become smarter and more connected, security becomes a bigger and bigger piece of the puzzle. The very applications that make people really excited about 5G, like drones delivering packages or autonomous vehicles, are the same applications that are the riskiest if they should become compromised.And in some cases, such as a hacker gaining control of smart traffic lights or compromising a smart hospital’s control system, these breaches could mean life or death, as MobileIron’s engineer Russ Mohr told RCR Wireless News earlier this week.
From managing critical hydro and electrical systems to handling sensitive voter registration data, the technology that enables modern living should be secured against cyber-attacks. If you’re a state, local, tribal, or territorial (SLTT) government organization looking to get “smart” when it comes to technology, you don’t have to go it alone. There’s a cybersecurity community for U.S. SLTT governments at the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC).
