Design and construction industry firms underestimate their vulnerability to cyberattacks, according to a new report, Data Resilience in Design and Construction: How Digital Discipline Builds Stronger Firms by Dodge Construction Network and content security and management company Egnyte.
Fifty-nine percent of firms responding to a survey experienced a cybersecurity threat within the last two years. General contractors were hit most frequently, with 70% experiencing a threat and 30% suffering a ransomware attack since 2021.
Successful attacks can be dire, with 77% of firms saying they would experience critical schedule delays if access to documentation is blocked for more than five days. Ransomware attacks often take a lot longer to resolve than just a few days, though.
The average duration of a successful ransomware attack in the U.S. ranged from 15 days to 26 days between the first quarter of 2020 and the second quarter of 2022, according to Statista, a company that operates a global data and business intelligence platform.
The study also says that the industry needs improvement on data resilience, which it defines as “the ability to access all project and business documents and data to support work at any time, from anywhere, and on any device.” Just 39% of AEC firms’ data networks meet that standard at least 90% of the time, “meaning most of the industry struggles with this issue.”
Related Stories
| Dec 24, 2013
First Look: Calatrava's Sharq Crossing in Doha, Qatar [video]
The government of Qatar has released details of Sharq Crossing, a massive infrastructure project designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.
| Dec 23, 2013
MBI commends start of module setting at B2, world's tallest modular building
The first modules have been set at B2 residential tower at Atlantic Yards in New York, set to become the tallest modular building in the world.
| Dec 23, 2013
First Look: KPF's dual-tower design for Ziraat Bank in Istanbul
Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) is designing a new headquarters for Turkey’s largest and oldest financial institution, Ziraat Bank, in a modern, suburban district of Istanbul.
| Dec 20, 2013
Top healthcare sector trends for 2014 (and beyond)
Despite the lack of clarity regarding many elements of healthcare reform, there are several core tenets that will likely continue to drive transition within the healthcare industry.
| Dec 20, 2013
Must see for the holidays: Architects re-create iconic structures using gingerbread
Gensler, PBK, Page Sutherland Page, and Kirksey were among the firms to compete in the 5th Annual Gingerbread Build-Off.
| Dec 20, 2013
Can energy hogs still be considered efficient buildings? Yes, say engineers at Buro Happold
A new tool from the engineering firm Buro Happold takes into account both energy and economic performance of buildings for a true measure of efficiency.
| Dec 20, 2013
Ten spectacular contemporary churches [slideshow]
German building-information provider Emporis compiles a photographic tour of inspirational spaces.
| Dec 19, 2013
NRDC report relates green infrastructure investments to commercial property value [Infographic]
The Natural Resources Defense Council has released The Green Edge: How Commercial Property Investment in Green Infrastructure Creates Value -- a first-ever illustrative and well-documented report that helps demonstrate the value of green infrastructure. It draws from available published material to capture the multitude of tangible, monetizable non-water quality and water quality benefits that green infrastructure investments (trees, rain gardens, and porous pavement, rainwater harvesting cisterns, bioswales, etc.) can unlock for the commercial real estate sector, including commercial property owners and their tenants.
| Dec 19, 2013
Mastering the art of crowd control and visitor flow in interpretive facilities
To say that visitor facility planning and design is challenging is an understatement. There are many factors that determine the success of a facility. Unfortunately, visitor flow, the way people move and how the facility accommodates those movements, isn’t always specifically considered.
| Dec 19, 2013
Urban populations, climate change demand resilient design: Report
With over fifty percent of the population already living in urban areas, cities must grapple with the potentially catastrophic effects of climate change (think: Superstorm Sandy in New York). In a new report, Jones Lang LaSalle has identified steps cities can take to make their infrastructure more resilient to changing climate conditions.
