The Risks of Being Smart: Smart Buildings and Cybersecurity Standards

This piece looks at the overlap between smart building technology and cybersecurity, aimed mainly at architects, engineers, and building professionals rather than homeowners. Smart buildings use connected sensors and controls to track energy and water use and improve efficiency, but that same connectivity creates openings for cyberattacks on building systems. The piece walks through the history of smart buildings, explains the difference between operational technology (the systems that run building equipment) and information technology (computer networks generally), and cites past attacks on building controls as examples of the risk.

It argues that design and construction professionals need better cybersecurity education, and suggests that groups like ASHRAE, USGBC, and GBI, which set green building standards, should build cybersecurity requirements into energy performance codes.

For a homeowner, this mostly concerns commercial buildings and large-scale smart systems rather than typical home upgrades like heat pumps or insulation. If your home has smart thermostats, connected energy monitors, or other internet-linked devices tied to your utility or energy management, it's worth knowing that the same connectivity enabling those conveniences and savings can carry cybersecurity risks. But this particular discussion centers on industry standards and professional practice, not specific steps or products for individual homes.