Communications of the ACM

Developers are harnessing a growing obsession with data to improve office buildings in ways that could cut costs and streamline operations, saving owners millions of dollars annually.

The field, known as property technology, or proptech, has become a booming sector in commercial real estate as property managers seek to use data collection and artificial intelligence to help control systems like heating, lighting, air quality and even the flow of workers.

As building owners juggle the complications of workers safely returning to offices after the pandemic, investors are pouring money into proptech start-ups like Cherre and HqO.

But this data collection is raising cybersecurity concerns: A 2021 Deloitte report found "cyberthreats are increasing in sophistication." Thieves have become more adept at hacking, even using the thermometer in a fish tank to gain access to the network of a Las Vegas casino.