Digital Safety for Contractors: Why It’s Essential

Digital Safety for Contractors: Why It’s Essential

Introduction

Digital Safety for Contractors: In the industry, construction businesses have always been a hot target for thefts and other sneaky crimes. Now that most firms are gearing more towards using online platforms to accept queries and store crucial information, new threats are introduced to their business.

Cyberspace might be a great way to promote your brand and communicate better with your prospects; however, it’s not what you can consider a safe place because hackers just wait for their next victim.

This article talks about the common cybersecurity risks you might encounter, especially nowadays. Know the threats you should be protecting your business from and learn how you can limit the risk of experiencing the issues. Read on!

Possible Cybersecurity Risks in Construction Firms

Every business in the industry has encountered different risks in cyberspace, and below are the ones you can find particularly common in construction firms:

Mobile Workforce

A construction business doesn’t stay in one place. The workforce often resides on temporary site bases, and workers tend to connect to public networks using their devices. If the firm strictly implements a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy, the risk of accessing crucial data on personal devices like laptops, smartphones, and tablets is high.

Data Storing and File Sharing

A project usually calls for data sharing among stakeholders and clients. Sensitive and crucial files like employee records and blueprints are shared between multiple parties.

Personnel Turnover

In a construction company, reliance and personnel turnovers on subcontractors can’t be avoided; this makes promoting cybersecurity training for everyone difficult to execute.

Threats You Might Experience in the Cyber Space

• Malware: It’s a type of software that comes in forms like worms and viruses, designed to harm your computer and its system. Usually, hackers use it to steal information in exchange for money. Sometimes, attackers initiate malware for malicious intentions.
• Ransomware: It’s a malware type that targets vulnerable systems to steal crucial information. Hackers lock these files and demand ransom from the victims for the encryption code.
• Phishing: This threat takes users’ sensitive information with just a click on a hyperlink in a suspicious email; phishing can also be initiated by opening an attachment from an email. Most of the time, the phishing link leads the victim to a fake website that would require them to enter personal details.
• Password Leakage: Attackers can crack the victims’ passwords to access their data and tweak their network systems.
• DDoS or Distributed Denial of Service: This happens when cyber-criminals purposely crash users’ systems or websites by sending overwhelming requests at a time.

If you believe your construction business could be at risk due to the above. Do not hesitate to consult with a professional IT company that specializes in cybersecurity.