Another Door Opens
So-called smart buildings such as multi-purpose high-rise buildings and large shopping malls that run on information and communication technology for higher energy and management efficiencies are highly vulnerable to cyber attacks and hacking.
“The control system of such a building has a very long period of replacement cycle, as is the case with its software upgrade cycle,” said a security expert, continuing, “Hackers may take advantage of the vulnerability that is attributable to these characteristics in order to take control of the entire building.”
His remarks remind many of the confidential data of the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Corporation confirmed to have been stolen by a hacker in Dec. last year. According to this explanation, the damage might not be limited to the stolen data but include physical terrorist attacks in the worst cases. The problem is that most large buildings equipped with a variety of intelligent services have yet to be capable of responding to such possibilities. The majority of structures run by private entities are wide open to such attacks, although the government is focusing on the security of government facilities and buildings of high importance such as data centers and broadcasting stations.
“Security enhancement is possible only when control systems are fully understood, but security firms and personnel in Korea capable of doing it are still insufficient,” he explained, adding, “Nevertheless, we need to be prepared for such possibilities with the frequency of attacks targeting intelligent buildings on the rise.”