The Looming Cyber Threat in Real Estate

In our interconnected world, the real estate industry has embraced technology to revolutionize its operations, enhance customer experiences, and streamline business processes. 

Yet, while this technological evolution has brought immense benefits to the property sector, it has also attracted the attention of nefarious actors keen on exploiting vulnerabilities. With high-value transactions occurring daily, the real estate sector has become a compelling target for attackers hoping to cash in on these opportunities.

In addition, the pandemic fueled an almost overnight transition to remote work and the widespread adoption of PropTech to optimize accessibility and minimize disruptions. As a result, a plethora of innovative tools flooded the market as real estate entities raced to innovate and economize.

As real estate operators integrate more and more digital tools and platforms into their operations, their susceptibility to threats escalates. From data breaches to ransomware assaults targeting sensitive financial records, tenant information, and property management data – the stakes are high.

And, in the absence of robust cybersecurity protocols, these advancements are inadvertently exposing real estate firms to increasing security risks.

Safeguarding information

Moreover, with the proliferation of PropTech solutions comes the collection and storage of vast amounts of data. Real estate professionals must ensure compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR or CCPA to protect the privacy rights of tenants, clients, and stakeholders. Failure to adequately safeguard this data can lead to legal liabilities and damage the company’s reputation.

Operators in the property market increasingly rely on technology infrastructure to manage properties efficiently, from smart building systems to cloud-based property management platforms. Any disruptions or failures in these technologies, whether due to technical issues or cyber attacks, can disrupt operations, lead to downtime, and impact tenant satisfaction.

It was only last year when San Francisco’s real estate market was crippled by a cyberattack on its main property listings database. The attack targeted the company that runs a multiple listing service used by realtors in the city. The Los Angeles–based software company that runs the service could not restore the platform, leaving subscribers locked out of a crucial database for weeks.

Complex supply chains

During their work, real estate practitioners collaborate with a wide range of third-party service providers, from property management systems to banks and other financial institutions.

These interactions can introduce additional cyber risks, as these third-party partners may not have adequate cybersecurity controls. Real estate agents should conduct thorough due diligence before engaging with outside partners, including vetting their cybersecurity practices and insisting on regular audits.

In November last year, a cyber-attack that impacted many conveyancing firms disrupted house sales and purchases across the UK. CTS, a legal sector specialist infrastructure service provider, admitted that it has experienced a service outage caused by a cyber-incident.

The attack affected some of the services it provides clients and is said to have affected up to 200 law firms using CTS’s services. This prevented conveyancing entities from accessing the systems they needed to progress property transactions.

A lack of standardization

Also, while the PropTech landscape is diverse, with numerous solutions addressing different aspects of real estate operations, a lack of standardization and interoperability among these solutions can create challenges for real estate operators.

Integrating disparate systems and ensuring they communicate seamlessly is complex and time-consuming, and if not done properly, can lead to inefficiencies and potential vulnerabilities.

Similarly, embracing PropTech requires real estate operators to upskill their workforce to effectively utilize and manage these technologies. Unfortunately, there is a skills gap within the industry, with existing employees lacking the necessary expertise to leverage new digital tools.

Without adequate training and development programs, real estate operators may struggle to maximize the potential of PropTech solutions and mitigate the associated risks.

The AI danger

PropTech solutions are also increasingly relying on algorithms and AI, reshaping the cybercrime landscape by significantly lowering the barrier of entry for aspiring cyber criminals. Traditionally, carrying out sophisticated cyber-attacks requires high technical expertise and specialized knowledge.

AI technologies are democratizing cybercrime by putting complex tools and automated capabilities into the hands of relatively unskilled threat actors to help them execute more potent attacks with minimal effort.

Furthermore, there is a growing concern about ethical issues such as algorithmic bias. Biased algorithms in areas like tenant screening or property valuation can lead to discrimination and legal ramifications for real estate operators if not carefully monitored and addressed.

As a result, the threat landscape is evolving rapidly, meaning that real estate practitioners need proactive measures and robust cybersecurity defenses to mitigate the growing risks posed by AI-enabled cyber attacks.

Companies in the property sector not only have to deal with cybercriminals; they also face significant threats from insiders, thanks to the sector’s wealth of data on financial transactions, personally identifiable information, and personal finance data.

These threats typically originate from employees leaving under a cloud and looking to put their former employers at risk by erasing data, compromising critical systems, or stealing sensitive and proprietary information.

Limiting the fallout

The fallout from a cyber breach can be devastating if not swiftly and effectively addressed. The resulting loss of customer and market confidence and financial damage can be catastrophic, never mind the overall disruption caused.

While PropTech brings numerous benefits to the real estate industry, any dependence on technology will also introduce new vulnerabilities and risks that real estate operators need to proactively address.

By implementing robust cybersecurity measures, real estate operators can mitigate these vulnerabilities and harness the full potential of PropTech for sustainable growth and success.

These measures should include conducting risk assessments, performing penetration testing and vulnerability management, providing regular user awareness training, establishing robust threat detection and response systems, devising incident response plans, and maintaining backup and recovery operations.

Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in this guest author article are solely those of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect those of Tripwire.