The digital transformation in the construction industry affects how information is exchanged and disrupts the way construction sites operate. The levels of operational technology (OT) to control and monitor site activities by utilizing robotic, autonomous, and remotely controlled machines raise cybersecurity concerns. As construction sites are places where humans and machines work together, the potential safety outcomes of cybersecurity vulnerabilities are magnified. This study’s motivation was to understand the current state of the art and identify gaps to suggest future directions regarding OT in construction from the cybersecurity perspective. To achieve that, a bibliometric analysis was conducted. The analysis utilized the Scopus database to retrieve related publications and VOSviewer version 1.6.15 software to visualize bibliometric networks. Main research themes were identified, and each theme was reviewed from a cybersecurity perspective. The limitations of the analysis include the lack of industry-based categorization, the domination of publications focusing on the cybersecurity of industrial control systems (ICSs), and the set of keyword combinations used for the literature search that could be expanded to cover a broader range of research topics. The findings reveal the lack of focus on the construction phase in the construction cybersecurity research. Moreover, cybersecurity aspects are absent in the construction automation studies, and there is a need for bespoke threat modeling and intrusion detection systems for all the phases of construction projects. Suggestions for further research on the potential threats against the construction phase are provided. Future directions include possible adaptations of the available cybersecurity frameworks considering the utilization of OT on construction sites and investigating the methods to evaluate security levels on construction sites and countermeasures against cyberattacks.

Digitalisation of the construction industry is exposing it to cybersecurity risks. All phases of construction can be affected. Particularly vulnerable are information-intensive phases such as building design and building operation. Construction is among the last industries that are discovering its cybersecurity risks and can rely on frameworks developed for other contexts. In this paper, we evaluate the cybersecurity risks of the design phase of construction using the Cyber Assessment Framework from the National Cybersecurity Centre (NCSC) of the UK. The goal of this study is twofold. First, to examine cybersecurity risks themselves, and second, to evaluate the applicability of the NCSC framework for construction to see if and how construction is specific. The analysis shows that the cybersecurity risks follow the information impact curve that has been motivating the introduction of Building Information Modelling (BIM). The framework is applicable but is weak in addressing the specifics of the construction industrial ecosystem, which involves a multitude of dynamically connected actors, their overlapping authorities, and conflicting motives. It is suggested that a specialized constructionrelated framework should be developed.

Analogous to Industry 4.0, we have the advent of Construction 4.0, a transformative process wherein digital technology and digitalization affect every phase of the life cycle of construction projects, from the design and contracting phase to the construction, operation, maintenance, upgrade, and decommissioning ones. The progress of digitalization has been uneven, as has been the recognition of the new security environment in which the architecture, engineering, construction, and operation (AECO) industry operates. Hackers for profit, disloyal competitors, disgruntled insiders, or even state agents employing hybrid warfare all utilize cyber means to achieve goals that can disrupt processes, corrupt information, interrupt operations, and cause significant material damage or even loss of human life. Starting from recognizing the paucity of studies in this field, this paper analyzes the results from a survey on cybersecurity awareness in the AECO industry. The analyses employed statistical methods such as $t\text{-}\text{test}$ , Spearman’s rank correlation test, and ANOVA to test the hypotheses formulated to answer the research questions of the study. The resulting data are commented upon and placed in the context of an evolving industry confronted with the shock of the new security environment, while also moving forward on Construction 4.0 as a creator of added value, new efficiencies, and new capabilities.

One of the key concepts of Construction 4.0 is cyber-physical systems. The construction industry is increasingly creating valuable digital assets, but it is also gradually using digital technology to plan, design, build, monitor, and control the physical ones. This makes construction sites and operations vulnerable to cyber-attacks. While the damage to digital assets can have financial implications, attacks on digitally-controlled physical assets may impact people’s well-being and, in worst-case scenarios, result in casualties. The problem is amplified by the emerging cyber-physical nature of the systems, where the human checks may be left out. The construction industry could draw inspiration from the work done in critical infrastructures (CI). Construction is the prelude of any socio-technical asset tagged as a CI. While most assets may not be critical in the CI sense, they are essential to a business’ operations and the people directly or indirectly associated with them. This study presents a literature review on the previous CI protection (CIP) efforts and construction cybersecurity studies to show their synergy. Recommendations based on well-established CIP processes to make construction more cyber-secure are provided. It is expected that this study will create awareness about cybersecurity practices within the construction industry. Ongoing work includes understanding where construction stands and developing a framework to address cybersecurity throughout the different project phases.

Most studies either addressed the technical gaps or adopted technological strategies to enable construction automation and digitalization. However, the cybersecurity implications of such technologies received little attention. Existing cybersecurity studies from other domains cannot be directly adopted because examining the overall security, existence, and spread of vulnerability in a construction network requires comprehensive knowledge of the construction participants and processes. To address these gaps, this study a) proposes an agent-based vulnerability assessment framework and b) presents an example focusing on the interactions between a contractor and a 3D printing system to show the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed framework. It is expected that the proposed framework and the results from the example will raise more awareness about the cybersecurity implications in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry and construction research community. Future work aims to quantify the vulnerability scores of individual participants and construction networks.

Common data environments (CDEs) are centralized repositories in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry designed to improve collaboration and project efficiency. However, CDEs hosted on cloud platforms face significant risks from insider threats, as stakeholders with legitimate access may act maliciously. To address these vulnerabilities, we developed a game-theoretic framework using Bayesian games that account for incomplete information, modeling both simultaneous and sequential interactions between insiders and data defenders. In the simultaneous move game, insiders and defenders act without prior knowledge of each other’s decisions, while the sequential game allows the defender to respond after observing insider actions. Our analysis used Bayesian Nash Equilibrium to predict malicious insider behavior and identify optimal defense strategies for safeguarding CDE data. Through simulation experiments and validation with real project data, we illustrate how various parameters affect insider–defender dynamics. Our results provide insights into effective cybersecurity strategies tailored to the AEC sector, bridging theoretical models with practical applications and supporting data security within the increasingly digitalized construction industry.