Over the past several years, the nation’s communities have seen an increasing shift to “smart buildings” that use internet-enabled wireless technology to control building-related systems. Such trends also are being seen in U.S. military facilities. In early 2015, following the release of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that called attention to building-related cyber risks, the House Armed Services Committee approved legislative language requiring the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to perform a cyber-vulnerability study as part of its fiscal year 2016 defense authorization bill.

More and more building owners, including federal agencies, are using “smart” systems to improve the functionality of their facilities. These new systems can improve functionality and make it easier to maintain and operate the building. Yet, at the same time they can also expose the building to potential threats from hackers and others with malicious intent.

For the second year, the National Institute of Building Sciences is sponsoring introductory and advanced cybersecurity workshops to help owners, facility managers, maintenance engineers, physical security specialists, information assurance professionals, architects, engineers and contractors—essentially anyone involved with implementing cybersecurity in the facility life cycle—to learn the best practice techniques to better protect their facilities. One of the workshops specifically focuses on improving cybersecurity of Department of Defense (DoD) facilities, and is geared to help professionals involved with implementing cybersecurity in the facility life cycle to learn the best practice techniques to better protect DoD facilities.

More and more building owners, including federal agencies, are using “smart” systems to improve the functionality of their facilities. These new systems can improve functionality and make it easier to maintain and operate the building. Yet, at the same time they can also expose the building to potential threats from hackers and others with malicious intent.

The National Institute of Building Sciences will sponsor introductory and advanced cybersecurity workshops in July to help owners, facility managers, maintenance engineers, physical security specialists, information assurance professionals, architects, engineers and contractors—essentially anyone involved with implementing cybersecurity in the facility life cycle—to learn the best practice techniques to better protect their facilities. One of the workshops specifically focuses on improving cybersecurity of Department of Defense (DoD) facilities, and is geared to help professionals involved with implementing cybersecurity in the facility life cycle to learn the best practice techniques to better protect DoD facilities.

A new workshop, sponsored by the National Institute of Building Sciences, answers the question of what to do when building control systems have been hacked or taken over by ransomware. Intended for building owners, facility managers, engineering, physical security, information assurance and other professionals involved with the design, deployment and operation of building control systems, the “Your Building Control Systems Have Been Hacked, Now What? Workshop,” to be held Tuesday, October 4, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, in Arlington, Virginia, will provide a combination of classroom learning modules and hands-on laboratory exercises to help attendees learn how to detect, contain, eradicate and recover from a cyber event.

The workshop, taught by Michael Chipley, PhD, GICSP, PMP, LEED AP; Daryl Haegley, OCP, CCO; and Eric Nickel RCDD, CEH, CEP, is built around the Advanced Control System Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) developed by the U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM), which provide detailed step-by-step guidance to respond to a cyber attack.

Next week's workshop, sponsored by the National Institute of Building Sciences, will answer the question of what to do when building control systems have been hacked or taken over by ransomware. Intended for building owners, facility managers, engineering, physical security, information assurance and other professionals involved with the design, deployment and operation of building control systems, the “Your Building Control Systems Have Been Hacked, Now What? Workshop,” to be held Tuesday, December 6, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, in Gaithersburg, Maryland, will provide a combination of classroom learning modules and hands-on laboratory exercises to help attendees learn how to detect, contain, eradicate and recover from a cyber event.