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.

New York City has two very large buildings dedicated to answering the 911 calls of its five boroughs. With more than 11 million emergency calls annually, it makes perfect sense. The second of these buildings, the Public Safety Answering Center II (PSAC II) is located on a nine-acre parcel of land in the Bronx. It’s an imposing 450,000 square-foot structure—a 240-foot-wide by 240-foot-tall cube. The gleaming aluminum cube risesthe equivalent of 24 stories from behind a grassy berm, projecting the unlikely impression that it might actually be floating. Like most visually striking structures, the building has drawn as much scorn as it has admiration.