Page 50 - RC19 RealcommEDGE 2019 Fall Issue

Editorial

THE REAL ESTATE CYBER CONSORTIUM (RECC)
AN INDUSTRY’S EFFORT TO ADDRESS CYBER-

SECURITY FOR THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

SARAH BEMPORAD
Webinars & Program Manager
Realcomm

IoT ENABLED BUILDING CONTROL systems are a neces- Innovative building systems that provide operational
sity of the 21st Century smart building landscape. They efficiencies—such as remotely accessible temperature
allow buildings to create agile, responsive environments controls or carbon-emission monitoring—can pose seri-
that provide critical services to optimize functional build- ous risks and potentially impact life-safety of building
ing operations, lower facility costs, while adapting to occupants. With real estate owners and operators respon-
occupancy needs in real time. sible for hundreds, if not thousands of building occupants,
cybersecurity threats that have the potential to compro-
To achieve optimal efficiency, internal building control mise building systems need to be taken seriously. The
systems are often connected to external networks to industry supply chain must address these risks and collab-
effectively monitor and adjust HVAC controls, lighting, etc. orate, share best practices and develop security standards.
and analyze building data collected from a rising number
of sensors. Many of these connections are implemented With that goal in mind, the Real Estate Cyber Consortium
with little or no cyber hygiene and the installed building (RECC) was launched.
control systems, sensors and actuators often do not meet
minimum reasonable security protocols. With the ever-in- The Real Estate Cyber Consortium – RECC
creasing number of managed and unmanaged entry The RECC journey started at Realcomm 2016 in San Jose.
points to building data and operational systems, building Following the Cybersecurity Forum at the conference, about
owners and operators face unique challenges associated 20 concerned real estate professionals expressed an inter-
with securing smart buildings and facilities. est in discussing the topic further and vowed to elevate
awareness across the real estate community to improve
The influx of reports on massive data breaches at the cybersecurity preparedness for buildings and facilities.
hands of hackers is raising awareness of cybersecurity
and the significance of securing IT systems is moving to One of the main hurdles the real estate industry faces is
the forefront for building control systems and facilities. that responsibility for secure building systems is frag-
mented across the supply network: smart building tech-
“It’s what we don’t hear about that concerns me: nology solutions lack embedded security, integrators and
the malware lying dormant in the IoT and OT service providers do not advocate awareness and best
(Operational Technology) devices that run buildings practices, and cybersecurity accountability within real
and facilities, ready to be activated through remote estate organizations is bifurcated and uncoordinated.
control by a bad actor.”
–Charles Meyers, Chief Technical Architect, Wells Since the initial meeting in 2016, there has been rising
Fargo Corporate Property Group. (Realcomm 2019, awareness that in order to address cybersecurity chal-
Nashville) lenges associated with buildings and facilities, the entire
supply chain needs to effectively partner and collaborate

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