Schneider Electric , the enabler in digital transformation serving energy management and automation, announces the launch of Cybersecurity Solutions for Buildings , a solution that helps all customers secure their building management systems (BMS) to protect their people, assets and operations.
The joint solution with Claroty, the security company for cyber-physical systems in industrial, healthcare and commercial environments, will combine award-winning technology with industry expertise and services from Schneider Electric to identify all building assets, provide unequaled capabilities for managing risks and vulnerabilities, and provide ongoing threat monitoring to protect business investments.
Fifty percent of today’s buildings will likely still be operational in 2050. This data encourages commercial buildings to digitize their assets, including their building management system. IoT technology for buildings is expected to grow from 1.7 billion connected devices at the end of 2020 to over 3 billion by 2025 . As these commercial buildings transform into smart buildings, they share a common characteristic: increased exposure to risk.
The industry must address the security challenges inherent in smart buildings. Studies show that 57% of IoT devices are vulnerable to attacks of medium to high severity. Cyberattacks have already harmed several businesses, including critical infrastructure such as hospitals, data centers and hotels. The commercial building industry must find ways to protect access to corporate IT systems and critical infrastructure.
“The integration of IoT into buildings is driving a promising development across the industry, but as with any innovation, new risks are emerging,” said Annick Villeneuve, Vice President, Digital Enterprise Solutions, Schneider Electric.” For malicious actors seeking to disrupt operations, gain financial advantage and/or achieve other goals, and which put people in de facto danger, buildings can appear as the perfect target. It is with this in mind that we are collaborating with Claroty to provide our customers with a comprehensive solution to manage the security and operational risks facing the buildings of today and tomorrow.”
With more and more IoT devices deployed in buildings and increased connectivity of previously isolated operational technology, building management systems (BMS), and their IT counterparts, have become tempting targets. Additionally, facility managers oversee hundreds of vendors, service providers, and technicians with a fragmented approach, increasing complexity and risk.
“When securing cyber-physical systems, including BMSs, the priority is to ensure the continuity and security of physical processes ,” said Keith Carter, vice president, Worldwide Channels and Alliances, Claroty . Merging Claroty’s deep industry expertise and dedicated technology with Schneider Electric’s proven services and commitment to driving digital transformation globally, we enable our customers to reap the benefits of smart building technologies without increasing their exposure to cyber threats, thereby achieving a great leap forward towards a more efficient and sustainable future for the planet.”
The Cybersecurity Solutions for Buildings range designed by Schneider Electric and Claroty includes the following steps: asset discovery, risk assessment, remote access control, threat detection and response. It will give building owners, facility operators and security teams a simple solution without adding additional workload to identify baseline risks, continuously reducing risk from cyber threats and assets, to detect and stop threats in their environment before services are disrupted.
