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Like any other business, your construction company’s computers and networks are susceptible to cyberattacks. Learn how to stay protected from cybercrime here.
Today, any company who uses computers and the Internet is susceptible to cyberattacks. Surprisingly to many, this even means businesses like construction companies.
In fact, construction companies have become one of the main targets of cyber attackers.
Why?
For the very reason that leaves them more susceptible: They are often unsuspecting.
While many construction companies emphasize security within their networks and computer systems, it’s not uncommon to find a construction business using unsecured networks, old computers, shared passwords, and out-of-date software.
Hackers are becoming aware of these vulnerabilities and have been taking advantage.
If you own or manage a construction company and are concerned about possible breaches in your security, read on. Below, we’ll outline exactly how you can better protect your business and save yourself the tremendous difficulty of a security breach.
Take the following steps in order to combat and prevent a cyberattack on your construction company:
If you haven’t already, it is advisable to align your company with the services provided by a local IT service provider. They will be able to assess your current level of IT protection and make astute recommendations to safeguard your security. This includes:
Many such IT providers have specific industries that they serve. If possible, find a company with experience in the construction industry. They’ll be better able to understand and handle your unique needs and provide you with hardware, software, and other services that cater to your industry.
If you’ve read about security breaches at other companies, you’ve likely heard terms such as “malware,” “ransomware,” “phishing,” “viruses,” and more. All of these terms (and indeed, most cyberattacks) relate to situations in which the attackers have somehow installed malicious software (“malware”) onto a target company’s computers.
But have you ever wondered how the cybercriminals were able to get this malware onto their targets’ computers? They certainly didn’t sneak in at night to install it manually.
Instead, chances are, they performed a phishing attack.
Phishing attacks are one of the most common ways that cybercriminals target industries like construction.
Essentially, a phishing attack is a cyberattack in which the cybercriminal sends out an email to one or several employees at the company they want to target. This email appears to be from a legitimate source such as the recipient’s bank, a friend, a colleague, or even a client or customer.
The email will direct the recipient to take some sort of action, such as:
As soon as this action is taken, the attacker can then program the picture/link/attachment/etc. to download malware onto the recipient’s computer. The malware may be programmed to do one or several malicious things:
As you can see, the “in” here has less to do with faulty firewalls or the cyber attackers being “tech geniuses” and more to do with what’s called social engineering. The only way to avoid attacks like these is to adequately train your employees on how to avoid phishing and other common scams.
Lastly, to provide your company with one more line of defense against the losses a cyberattack can cause, consider getting cyber insurance.
An increasing number of insurance companies are now offering IT policies to cover expenses associated with:
It is certainly understandable that most construction companies would prefer to focus more on matters specifically related to their industry. However, it is still unwise to completely disregard cybersecurity. Unfortunately, a breach — such as a ransomware attack or the diversion of funds if a hacker were to attain your financial information — could cost your company hundreds of thousands of dollars overnight.
If you own or operate a construction company, heed the warnings listed above, and take steps to protect your business’s security by speaking with a Leesburg IT support and IT service provider at your earliest convenience.