A smart building also has an attack surface
Every system connected to the network is a possible entry point. In a building, that also includes the doors, the cameras and the climate installation.
Why this has become a real estate question
As long as a building only had locks and a thermostat, security was a physical matter. Now that a building has smart systems, part of that security has become digital, and therefore a property of the building, not just of the tenant.
That's a shift that's easily overlooked. The landlord thinks in terms of installations, the tenant thinks in terms of their own IT, and the building network that access control runs on falls between the two.
What matters for a building
- Separation of networks. Building systems, visitor WiFi and the tenant's network should be separated. If everything sits on one network, one weak device is enough.
- Management and updates. Equipment that was installed years ago and never updated is the usual weak point.
- Access to management. Who can reach the systems, and what happens when that party leaves?
- Monitoring. Is anyone watching for anything unusual, or does nobody notice until something goes wrong?
- Physical and digital together. A lockable server room is part of security, just as much as a password.
What the IT-Label does and doesn't say
The IT-Label assesses cybersecurity as part of the building's digital infrastructure: is there security, is there monitoring, and are the networks separated? It is not a penetration test and not a certification of your own IT environment. It assesses the delivery level of the real estate: what the tenant does on top of that remains the tenant's own responsibility.
What the levels say about this
At IT1+ PREMIUM, cybersecurity and continuous monitoring are part of the starting point. As the delivery level drops, that responsibility shifts to the tenant: down to IT4 CORE and IT5 SHELL, where there simply isn't yet anything to secure.
Here too, the label doesn't judge: it makes transparent what is present. Who is on the hook for what is recorded in the IT Demarcation List: see responsibilities.
How secure is your building?
The audit assesses security, monitoring and network separation.
How the audit worksRelated information
Knowledge base
Background on the components the IT-Label assesses: from fibre optic and WiFi coverage to Smart Building, cybersecurity and the impact of AI on real estate.
Smart Building technology
Climate control, access control and booking systems don't make a building smart on their own. Integration does, and that's what the IT-Label assesses.
Network redundancy
Redundancy means there is a second route if the first one fails. Why that's no longer a luxury for many organisations, and how the IT-Label looks at it.
The IT-Label for property owners
Buildings increasingly compete on digital connectivity and performance. The IT-Label makes those qualities objectively measurable and comparable.