AEC industry reported high levels of fraud, cyber breaches, and security incidents in 2017

Fraud, cyber attacks, and security risks continue to plague the construction, engineering and infrastructure sector at high levels, according to senior corporate executives surveyed worldwide for the 2017/18 Kroll Annual Global Fraud & Risk Report.

The survey by the risk solutions provider found that 83% of respondents experienced at least one fraud incident in 2017. Nearly all (93%) reported a cyber incident, and 67% reported some other kind of security incident.

Information theft, loss, or attack was the most prevalent type of fraud experienced in the sector, cited by 33% of respondents, up 15 percentage points from 2016. Regulatory or compliance breach was second on the list, reported by 30% of executives, almost twice the reported incidence in last year’s survey (18%).

Physical theft or loss of intellectual property (IP) was the most prevalent type of security incident, with 43% saying their organizations fell victim to these crimes. “There is a convergence between physical and digital threats, with issues arising from equipment with sensitive data being stolen or lost, for example, or employees with access to highly sensitive information accidentally or intentionally causing a breach,” said Jason Smolanoff, senior managing director and global cyber security practice leader for Kroll.