Goel of Brainlink International addresses BOMA NY members

New York, NY With a western view of the Midtown skyline, BOMA New York packed their event space in January’s Lunch & Learn called, I.T. – As a competitive differentiator.

Raj Goel, founder of Brainlink International, addressed the sold out room about a myriad of different types of cyber threats to be aware of. He shared real-time case studies and best practices to both educate and to be better prepared.

Goel impressed upon the crowd that the days of when hackers would “spray and pray” are over. He said, “Cybercrime is a real global business. As owners, operators and managers, you must spend time playing defense and stay protected.”

Goel shared over one dozen examples of what building owners and management companies should be mindful of. They include areas from as simple as password protection programs – to email scams – to a “Catch and Secure” system for building card readers, alarm systems, elevators and HVAC.

He expressed that many manufacturers of digital cameras and other security hardware with remote access have backdoor passwords that need to be eliminated for better building safety. He reviewed the results of a Forbes conducted experiment where invited hackers quickly proved their ability to break-in and control cranes and other building management systems at fifteen different development companies in New York City. He made it clear that the above described experience is not company specific – rather – it’s a categorical/industry problem.

Goel spent time discussing IoT and the digital world of vendor management, employee training and the benefit of implementing new SOPs to create a safe and productive digital infrastructure. He explained that just like traditional theft is a crime, so is digital ransomware. He said, “Crime will always be there and that is why we put deadbolts on our doors. What are you doing to protect your servers, valuable data and emails?”

Lastly, Goel reminded us that cybercrime is not our biggest threat. He urged everyone in attendance to have a strategic business continuity plan for when utilities go down. He said, “If you and/or your tenants don’t have access to your building, how will you communicate with them when electric and cable go down? How will you continue a lease or proposal process? How will you ensure your buildings are secure?”

BOMA New York’s upcoming events:

• Feb. 7: Start of 6-Week BOMI Course:  Facilities Planning & Project Management.

• Feb. 13-15: Accelerated BOMI Course: Fundamentals of Facilities Management.

• Feb. 20: LEED/Wellness Course:  Well vs. Fitwell.

• Feb. 21: Lunch & Learn:  Local Law 88 (SOLD OUT.)

• Feb. 27: TechBytes:  A Look Back and Catch Up for CRE.

• Feb. 28: 2019 Pinnacle Awards @ Chelsea Piers.

• March 1: Q1 Seminar:  Working with CoWorking.

For more information, please contact the BOMA New York office at 212-239-3662 or bomany.org.