Cybersecurity & Performance Assessment

Ransomware is malicious software that encrypts files and demands payment for access, often halting operations in the AEC sector by locking critical project data like CAD files and timelines. It can lead to significant financial losses, with average global costs reaching $5.13 million per incident in 2024, including downtime and recovery expenses. Firms without defenses may face prolonged disruptions, damaging reputations and delaying projects across job sites.

MFA adds an extra verification layer beyond passwords, blocking unauthorized access even if credentials are stolen through phishing. In the AEC industry, it secures remote logins to tools like project management software, reducing breach risks by up to 99% for credential-stuffing attacks. Implementing MFA across email, cloud platforms, and remote desktops ensures attackers can't easily infiltrate systems used by field teams and estimators.

Encryption scrambles data at rest and in transit, making it unreadable to unauthorized parties even if intercepted or stolen. For construction firms, it safeguards sensitive files like design documents on mobile devices or shared drives, preventing exploitation during breaches. Standards like AES-256 ensure that, combined with other defenses, stolen data remains useless, minimizing the incentive for ransom demands.

Secure backups provide a clean restore point, allowing firms to recover without paying ransoms and resume operations quickly. Following the 3-2-1 rule—three copies on two media types with one off-site—protects against attacks that target backups, which occurred in 94% of incidents in 2024. Regular testing ensures viability, helping AEC companies avoid average downtimes of 24 days and maintain project continuity.

AEC firms face targeted threats like phishing aimed at estimators, insecure cloud storage for design sharing, and unencrypted field devices vulnerable to theft. Outdated backups and lack of MFA on remote access points exacerbate risks, with attacks surging 41% in construction during 2024. Emerging AI-enhanced threats exploit IoT devices on job sites, leading to data breaches that rose 800% recently in the industry.

Our multi-layered defenses—Zero Trust application control (ThreatLocker), managed EDR (Huntress), ransomware canary detection, MFA, encryption, and backups—provide comprehensive protection: prevention blocks threats at the source, detection identifies and isolates issues early, and recovery ensures business continuity. In AEC workflows, these integrate to secure endpoints, protect data, and prevent spread, reducing exposure and aligning with best practices in network security for resilience.

Isolate affected systems to prevent spread, notify your IT team or experts, and avoid paying the ransom to discourage future attacks. Assess the breach through a cyber risk evaluation and use secure backups for restoration, ensuring no malware lingers. Follow up with enhanced training and audits to strengthen defenses, minimizing long-term impacts like financial losses or reputational damage.

Conduct a thorough risk assessment that analyzes systems, user behaviors, and infrastructure for potential weak points, such as unsecured remote access. Review tools for Zero Trust, EDR, canary detection, MFA implementation, encryption coverage, and backup redundancy, with a focus on AEC-specific risks, including field device exposures. Engage professionals for audits and ongoing monitoring to identify gaps, ensuring proactive measures align with industry threats and compliance needs.