In 2020, Bouygues Construction suffered a devastating ransomware attack that crippled its IT infrastructure worldwide. All company servers were shut down after Maze ransomware infiltrated networks traced back to Canada, spreading rapidly across global systems. Attackers demanded a ransom of €10 million while claiming theft of more than 200 GB of sensitive corporate data.

This attack underscores the growing vulnerability of the construction sector, where interconnected projects and digital workflows make ransomware particularly damaging. In this article, we outline five essential steps for CISOs to implement AI-based threat intelligence that strengthens resilience without disrupting critical project delivery.

Construction companies operate through distributed, collaborative models that create unique security challenges beyond the capabilities of traditional cybersecurity tools. Cyberattacks trigger cascading operational failures when ransomware encrypts building information modeling files, payment systems freeze, and subcontractors lose access to essential documentation.

The financial impact compounds rapidly in an industry where the average data breach continues to rise year on year. Construction projects run on razor-thin margins where every hour of downtime translates to thousands in losses, potentially eliminating project profitability through insurance claims, regulatory investigations, and contract penalties.

Construction organizations present attractive targets for cybercriminals due to structural vulnerabilities inherent in their operational model.

Active construction projects span dozens of locations with varying infrastructure quality and security controls. Mobile devices connect to temporary networks at job sites while field-based systems operate without corporate firewall protection. Each location represents a potential entry point that attackers exploit to access corporate systems.

Every project involves multiple independent companies sharing access to systems and networks. General contractors collaborate with specialty subcontractors, equipment vendors, and design consultants, creating interconnected relationships that cybercriminals exploit through vendor email compromise to gain access across all connected organizations.

Modern construction relies on IoT sensors, building automation systems, and smart equipment monitoring that prioritize availability over security. These operational technology systems often run legacy protocols without built-in protections, enabling attackers to disrupt physical operations while accessing broader corporate networks through converged infrastructure.

Legacy security solutions fail in construction environments because they assume centralized operations and static infrastructure that don't exist in this industry.

Signature-based detection misses targeted attacks customized for construction workflows. Secure email gateways cannot distinguish between legitimate subcontractor communications and sophisticated impersonation attempts. Alert volume overwhelms lean IT teams managing complex infrastructure across corporate offices, job sites, and cloud platforms without dedicated security analysts.

Resource constraints compound these challenges. Small IT departments need automated solutions that work effectively without extensive management or specialized expertise, yet traditional tools require constant tuning and monitoring that construction companies cannot provide.

That said, a methodical approach tailored to construction's unique operational requirements and threat landscape can show the way forward.

Begin by mapping all digital assets across corporate offices, active job sites, and cloud platforms. Document data flows between contractors, subcontractors, and clients while identifying high-value targets including Building Information Modeling (BIM) files, project financials, and client data.

Focus particularly on email security gaps by evaluating payment approval workflows, subcontractor onboarding processes, and project communication patterns that attackers might exploit. This assessment reveals that most vulnerabilities originate from third-party access and email-based threats, shaping your entire security strategy to focus resources on highest-impact risks.

Implement the NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 as your foundational structure, providing systematic approaches to identify, protect, detect, respond, and recover from incidents. Federal contractors should integrate Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification requirements from initial design phases.

Layer construction-specific controls including mobile device management protocols for job sites, subcontractor security requirements in contracts, and data classification schemes for project documentation. Framework implementation reduces audit preparation time while satisfying insurance requirements that increasingly mandate structured cybersecurity programs.

AI systems require comprehensive visibility to establish behavioral baselines across distributed operations. Implement centralized logging that captures security events from all locations using lightweight collection agents at job sites that aggregate data to central analysis platforms.

Prioritize email security monitoring since most construction attacks originate through email channels. Capture communication metadata, attachment analysis, and user interaction patterns while monitoring payment approval workflows and vendor communications for anomalies. This infrastructure enables AI systems to learn normal operational patterns specific to your organization.

Deploy behavioral AI solutions designed for distributed environments that adapt to seasonal variations, project-based communication patterns, and multi-party collaboration. Configure systems to recognize construction-specific activities including milestone payment processes, change order workflows, and request for information patterns.

The behavioral analysis identifies threats like compromised subcontractor accounts sending fraudulent payment requests and unusual file access patterns indicating potential data theft. AI continuously adapts, improving detection accuracy while reducing false positives that waste analyst time and create alert fatigue.

Develop construction-specific playbooks addressing ransomware containment, business email compromise response, and data breach notification with clear communication protocols for subcontractors, clients, and regulatory authorities.

Implement automated response capabilities that isolate compromised accounts, revoke suspicious access, and activate backup communication channels while minimizing operational disruption. Establish feedback loops between incident response and AI systems, using each incident to refine detection rules and behavioral models for continuous improvement.

Abnormal's behavioral AI solves unique security challenges in construction environments by modeling typical communication patterns across contractors, subcontractors, vendors, and project stakeholders. This approach enables detection and blocking of sophisticated threats, such as vendor email compromise and invoice fraud, that traditional secure gateways often miss. Through rapid API-based integration with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, Abnormal streamlines deployment, transforming protection in just minutes.

Mace, a global construction leader behind iconic projects like Battersea Power Station and the Shard, exemplifies how construction firms benefit from behavioral AI protection. Managing 32,000+ mailboxes across five continents, the company faced sophisticated vendor compromise attacks while handling highly confidential project data.

After implementing Abnormal, Mace achieved:

• 160 hours of security team time saved in just one month

• 113 high-risk vendors identified immediately upon integration

• Zero missed attacks or false positives in 30 days of operation

• Several dollars protected from invoice fraud attempts

The platform's unified approach protects both internal teams and vendor communications simultaneously, automatically catching compromised vendor attacks that previously evaded detection.

Ready to protect your construction operations from advanced email threats? Explore our customer stories or get a demo to see how Abnormal can secure your distributed teams and complex project communications.