Building automation specialist Schneider Electric has launched a suite of cybersecurity services in collaboration with Claroty, a provider of cyber-physical systems across industrial, healthcare and commercial environments. 

The new offering, “Cybersecurity Solutions for Buildings,” is said to help end users secure their building management systems (BMS) to protect their people, assets and operations. The joint solution will combine Claroty’s technology with Schneider Electric industry expertise and services to identify all facility-wide assets, deliver risk and vulnerability management capabilities, and provide continuous threat monitoring to protect enterprise investments. 

According to Schneider Electric, 50 percent of today’s buildings are likely to be still in use by 2050. This is driving commercial buildings to digitize their assets, including modernizing their building management system. In fact, IoT technology for buildings is expected to grow from an existing 1.7 billion connected devices at the end of 2020 to over 3 billion by 2025. As these commercial buildings evolve into smart buildings of the future, they share at least one common trait: heightened exposure to risks. 

The sector must address the security challenges presented by smart buildings. Studies have shown that 57 percent of IoT devices are vulnerable to medium or high-severity attacks. Cyberattacks have already harmed several businesses, including critical infrastructure such as hospitals, data centers, and hotels. The commercial building sector must find ways to safeguard both its access to the company’s IT systems as well as its mission-critical infrastructure. 

“The integration of IoT in buildings is sparking an exciting shift across the sector, but like with any innovation, it also presents new risks,” said Annick Villeneuve, vice president digital enterprise solutions, Schneider Electric. “For threat actors looking to disrupt operations, benefit financially and/or achieve other objectives, and in so doing to put individuals at risk, buildings can appear to be the perfect target. It is with this in mind that we are partnering with Claroty to bring our customers a comprehensive, industry-leading solution that meets the unique security and operational risks facing buildings of today and of the future.” 

As more and more IoT devices are deployed within the buildings space and increased connectivity between previously isolated operational technology, building management systems (BMS), and their IT counterparts, have made them attractive targets and vulnerable to cyberattacks. Additionally, facility managers oversee hundreds of vendors, service contractors, and technicians in a fragmented manner, increasing complexity and risk. 

“When it comes to securing cyber-physical systems, including BMS, the number one priority is to keep physical processes operational and safe,” said Keith Carter, vice president of worldwide channels and alliances, Claroty. “By fusing Claroty’s deep domain expertise and purpose-built technology with Schneider Electric’s renowned services and commitment to driving digital transformation globally, we are empowering our customers to reap the benefits of smart building technologies without increasing their exposure to cyber risk, thereby taking a profound step toward creating a more efficient, sustainable future for the world.” 

The Cybersecurity Solutions for Buildings offer designed by the two companies 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 further workload which identifies baseline risks, continually reduces both cyber and asset risks, and identifies and remediates threats in their environment before services are interrupted.