Lighting forum panel discusses cybersecurity risks

by Katie Daniel | January 15, 2016 9:27 am

 

 

 

 

 

The National Lighting Bureau (NLB) assembled a panel of experts for its annual forum to discuss links between lighting and cybersecurity.

Panelist Mark Lien, NLB’s vice chair, talked about a variety of systems that have allowed hackers to gain control of the door locks in homes and hotel rooms, even if they are located far away. He also discussed Wi-Fi enabled light-emitting diode (LED) lamps hackers can use to identify a home’s router password and then gain access to anything connected to the network. He said some products have been developed specifically for negative purposes, such as another LED lamp that picks up confidential conversations, and then converts them to text and live tweets to those signed on.

James Yorgey, the bureau’s chair, shared new approaches being used to enhance cybersecurity. For example, at some manufacturers, lighting controls are treated as a separate system so they cannot be used as pathways to other building systems, such as point-of-sale (POS) systems where customers’ credit card information is often stored. He said these types of new approaches create new roles and responsibilities for electrical contractors.

Lastly, Marty Riesberg, director of curriculum development for the Electrical Training Alliance (ETA), addressed the issue of contractors’ roles and highlighted the need to prequalify them to ensure their familiarity. He pointed out how the installation planning function has changed because the development of a lighting system should now also involve an organization’s IT department. He said the cybersecurity challenge requires more reliance on teamwork and those responsible for a building’s lighting system need to communicate directly with their counterparts involved in HVAC design.

Watch the full panel here. [1]

Source URL: https://www.constructionspecifier.com/lighting-forum-panel-discusses-cybersecurity-risks/

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