Fortifying Our Future: A New Blueprint for Smart Building Security

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – December 10, 2025 – The buildings we inhabit are no longer just brick and mortar; they are complex, living ecosystems of data. From the thermostat that adjusts to our presence to the security camera that logs our entry, our physical world is managed by an invisible layer of operational technology (OT). This digital transformation promises unprecedented efficiency and convenience, but it has also quietly erected a new, sprawling frontier for cyber threats. In response to this growing risk, a new strategic partnership between cyber exposure firm Armis, smart building platform KODE Labs, and governance specialist IntelliBuild aims to create a unified defense for the entire building lifecycle.

The Invisible Battlefield in Our Walls

The scale of the challenge is staggering. The smart building cybersecurity market is projected to swell from approximately $9 billion in 2025 to over $26 billion by 2034. This growth is a direct reaction to the vulnerabilities created by connecting everything from HVAC systems to elevators to the internet. Each connected device, or endpoint, becomes a potential doorway for malicious actors.

History provides stark warnings. The infamous 2013 Target data breach began with credentials stolen from a third-party HVAC vendor. More recently, attacks on Building Automation Systems (BAS) have surged, exploiting insecure legacy protocols like BACnet and Modbus that were designed for isolated networks, not the interconnected world of today. These systems, often the digital brains of a building, frequently lack modern security features like encryption and robust authentication, making them low-hanging fruit for attackers.

This creates a fragmented and perilous landscape for building owners and facility managers. They are often caught between the demands of modernizing their infrastructure and the reality of operating legacy equipment that was never designed to be secure. The result is a patchwork of systems, a lack of visibility, and a constant state of reactive defense—a situation one industry expert calls “a ticking time bomb.” The threat is no longer just about data theft; it’s about the potential for physical disruption, threatening everything from occupant safety to the integrity of critical infrastructure.

A Three-Pronged Approach to Digital Trust

The collaboration between Armis, KODE Labs, and IntelliBuild proposes a fundamental shift away from this siloed, reactive posture. The joint offering is designed to weave together three critical threads: asset visibility, operational intelligence, and governance.

First, Armis provides the comprehensive visibility. Its platform acts as the eyes of the operation, continuously discovering and identifying every device the moment it connects to the network—from a smart lightbulb to a complex elevator controller. “To achieve real security in the new age of connected environments, you must have comprehensive, real-time protection across the entire attack surface,” said Nadir Izrael, CTO and Co-Founder at Armis. This foundational layer aims to eliminate the blind spots where threats often lurk.

Next, KODE Labs adds the layer of operational intelligence. It takes the asset data from Armis and integrates it with live building telemetry, performance data, and fault trends. “By seamlessly integrating Armis’ continuous asset intelligence with live building telemetry… we create a single, trusted digital profile for every asset,” explained Edi Demaj, Co-Founder at KODE Labs. This moves building operators beyond simple asset inventories, providing contextual insights that allow them to shift from “reactive firefighting to proactive, informed decisions.”

Finally, IntelliBuild provides the crucial governance framework. Visibility and intelligence are ineffective without accountability and action. “Visibility is only half the battle; action and accountability are the rest,” stated Matt White, Founder at IntelliBuild. Their platform embeds standards, validation workflows, and reporting throughout the building’s lifecycle, ensuring that security and performance are not just monitored, but actively managed and enforced.

Building Smart and Secure from Day One

Perhaps the most transformative aspect of this partnership is its application in new construction. Historically, the digital and security systems of a new building were often an afterthought, bolted on late in the development process. This approach is no longer tenable in an era of pervasive connectivity.

The unified solution allows developers to deliver buildings that are, as the partners state, “digitally accurate, secure and operationally ready from day one.” By embedding this three-layered approach from the ground up, Armis discovers devices as they are installed, KODE Labs validates their performance against specifications, and IntelliBuild enforces commissioning standards in real time. This creates a verified digital foundation—a secure ‘digital twin’—before the building even opens its doors.

This represents a paradigm shift for the real estate and construction industries. Security becomes a core utility, as fundamental as plumbing and electricity. For developers, it offers a powerful competitive advantage and a way to deliver long-term value. For future tenants and owners, it provides an assurance of resilience and a trusted environment, setting a new standard for what a modern, intelligent building should be.

The Human Layer and Lingering Hurdles

While this integrated technological blueprint is compelling, its success hinges on navigating the messy realities of implementation and the complexities of the human layer. The vision of a seamless, secure ecosystem must contend with decades of legacy infrastructure, entrenched operational habits, and a persistent skills gap.

Integrating sophisticated new platforms with outdated OT systems that may be decades old is a formidable technical challenge. Furthermore, the promise of a unified solution must be tested in multi-vendor environments where interoperability is often more of an ambition than a reality. Building operators will need to manage not just the technology, but the complex web of relationships and responsibilities between different vendors.

Data privacy also looms large. As these systems collect ever more granular data on building operations and occupant behavior, they fall under increasing regulatory scrutiny from laws like GDPR and the EU's Data Act. Ensuring compliance and protecting sensitive information becomes a critical responsibility that transcends pure cybersecurity.

Ultimately, the technology is only as effective as the people and processes that support it. This shift demands a new kind of collaboration between IT security teams, OT engineers, and facility managers—professionals who have traditionally operated in separate worlds. It requires new skills, new workflows, and a shared understanding of risk. This new model offers a blueprint for a more resilient future, but its ultimate success will be measured not in data points, but in the trust we can place in the walls around us.