Business operations are shifting to the digital world–cybersecurity best practices are a must-learn. Contracts are signed online and payments are made through apps, making processes more convenient.
And that comes with a cost. If you are not careful, cybercriminals may steal your data. That could result in financial loss and reputation damage. With that in mind, cybersecurity should be a priority.
In this guide, we will teach you the best cybersecurity practices for construction subcontractors. These tips will help you protect your contracts, payments, and data.
The Importance of Cybersecurity in the Construction Field
The increasing reliance on digital tools and interconnected systems attracted the attention of cybercriminals. The bad news is that they also benefited from the advancements in technology. Businesses and entrepreneurs found new tools to improve their efficiency. Meanwhile, cybercriminals gained new tools for hacking and cyberattacks.
That said, subcontractors must learn how to prevent these cyberattacks. They have to learn the best security practices to:
- Protect Sensitive Data – Contracts, job sheets, lien waivers, invoices, and payments contain sensitive data that must also be known by the people involved. Cybercriminals should not get a hold of this information. Furthermore, construction projects may involve proprietary designs and methods that are critical to the client’s competitive edge. A cybersecurity breach could expose this confidential information.
- Prevent Project Disruptions – Ransomware is a type of cyber attack that locks your access to files or systems. The cybercriminals want you to pay to unlock them, but it’s not likely that they will actually do what they promised. This attack could halt operations, effectively delaying timelines. It could lead to costly project overruns.
- Maintain Client Trust – Clients trust subcontractors with proprietary and confidential information. A cybersecurity breach will damage not only the client who owns these assets. It also damages the subcontractor’s reputation. Finding new projects may become difficult if news breaks out that you are responsible for what happened.
Best Cybersecurity Practices in Construction
Now, you understand why it is important for subcontractors to never ignore cybersecurity. In this section, we will teach you how to strengthen it. Here are the best practices that help protect sensitive data and access access.
Use a Virtual Private Network
Whether you are working remotely or on-site, you should encrypt your connection. With that, you can prevent cybercriminals from intercepting data. A Virtual Private Network lets you do that. It ensures that the data transmitted between your device and the internet is secure and private.
Of course, you must review the VPN provider carefully. Choose one with strong encryption, a no-logs policy, and a solid reputation. It is also wise to apply the VPN to all your devices. Therefore, we recommend choosing the reliable NordVPN, which is compatible with different operating systems.
Use Strong, Unique Passwords
Your first line of defense in protecting access to sensitive systems and data is your password. How strong it is depends on how easy it is for cybercriminals to guess them. We discourage using your birthday, a company’s founding anniversary, or anything that could be linked to you. Using simple passwords like 12345 or abcde is also not recommended.
Instead, use passwords that are a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special symbols. But think of ones that are difficult to guess but are also easy for you to remember. Alternatively, use password generators to create a completely random string of characters. Then, use a password manager so you don’t have to memorize it.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication
Even with a strong password, malicious actors could still guess it correctly. They may also be able to obtain it through other means, depending on where you saved it or who you told about it.
That said, you must enable two-factor authentication to stop unauthorized access. With it activated, the cybercriminals will not be able to log in without providing a one-time password (OTP). The OTP will be sent to you only, so they will not know what it is.
Secure Your Wi-Fi Connection
Cybercriminals successfully hacking your account or device is bad news. But what’s worse than that is if they hack your Wi-Fi network. They can use the network to plant malware on all devices connected to it. It could disrupt communication and remove your access to project management tools.
It could also lead to man-in-the-middle attacks. It’s where the cybercriminals intercept communication between the subcontractor and the contractor or client. They could monitor the messages and alter or steal the data being exchanged.
Therefore, we recommend ensuring that your Wi-Fi network is encrypted with the latest security protocol. At the time of this writing, that is WPA3 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 3). We also recommend using strong, unique passwords, just like with your accounts.
Use Secure Tools
Subcontractors need to use communication tools and project management tools to connect to contractors or clients. When choosing a tool, select secure ones. For example, choose communication tools that provide end-to-end encryption. It ensures that only the parties involved can read the messages.
Choosing a secure payment management tool is just as important. Construction subcontractors deal with large sums of money. The transactions are for receiving payments from contractors or paying vendors or suppliers. Without security measures, these online transactions are vulnerable to cyberattacks. Cybercriminals could redirect the payments to fraudulent accounts.
Additionally, invoices and payments contain sensitive data, such as bank account information. Needless to say, this information should not fall into the hands of malicious actors.
Data Backup and Recovery
You could lose files or access to systems due to cyberattacks. It will hamper your operations. Thus, we recommend that you backup your data regularly. It ensures you can recover critical project data in case of an incident.
When creating backups, we suggest that you store them in multiple locations. That way, even if the cybercriminal locks your device, you can access the data from another source. You should also protect these locations with passwords and MFA.
Physical Security
Construction subcontractors work from multiple locations. They can’t bring their desktop computers to construction sites. Instead, they rely on smartphones, tablets, and laptops to access project information. These are also used to communicate with the team, the contractors, or the clients.
The thing is that these devices are vulnerable to theft, loss, or hacking. With that in mind, subcontractors should secure these devices. Locking the devices when not in use is good practice. Separating your personal and work devices is also wise.
Keeping Online Activity Secure
The everyday work of construction subcontractors involves documents and tools containing sensitive information. The documents include proprietary designs, blueprints, project details, invoices, and more. With the increasing reliance on online tools to send and access these, the construction industry has become a great target for cybercriminals.
That highlights the importance of learning the best cybersecurity practices. It involves using strong passwords, MFA, secure networks, and VPNs to prevent unauthorized access to systems and data. Securing the devices and creating backups is also important.
For payment systems, choosing a reliable one is a must. You do not want the payments to go to fraudulent accounts. If that happens, the subcontractors, as well as the contractor, client, supplier, or vendor, will all suffer a financial loss.
With these cybersecurity practices and by staying vigilant, subcontractors could protect contracts, payments, and data.