As reported on TechRepublic.com, as one of the top trends in 2019, smart city tech is sweeping the enterprise. Digitizing buildings is a major trend currently, however, this trend comes with a new security issues, according to Frost & Sullivan’s IT/OT Security Convergence for Building Technologies report.

The market for information technology (IT)/operation technology (OT) security services in smart buildings is predicted to hit $897 million by 2022, reaching a record compound annual growth rate of 37%, the report found.

A smart building uses technology to create a safe and healthy environment for its occupants. It typically uses IT-aided intelligence, smart sensors and controls for real-time dissemination of operational information for predictive analytics and diagnostics to help manage the building and maintain it at optimal levels.

Systems in a smart building are typically connected to an onsite management system or an offsite cloud-based management system. These are known as building automation systems (BAS).

Smart buildings are essential to smart cities, but as the number of such buildings increase, so does the security risk.

Smart building cyber attacks can occur in a number of ways, from phishing emails to an advanced persistent threat (APT), said Swetha Krishnamoorthi, industry analyst at Frost & Sullivan.

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