The construction industry is making a shift towards digitization and automation (known as Construction 4.0) due to the rapid growth of information and communication technologies as well as 3D printing, mechatronics, machine learning, big data, and the Internet of Things (IoT). These technologies will transform the design, planning, construction, operation and maintenance of the civil infrastructure systems, with a positive impact on the overall project time, cost, quality, and productivity. These new technologies will also make the industry more connected, and the consideration of cybersecurity of paramount importance. Although many studies have proposed frameworks and methodologies to develop such technologies, investigation of cybersecurity implications and related challenges have received very less attention. Some work has focused on security-minded BIM, but it lacks generality or does not consider an approach to determine the vulnerability of the different project participants, construction processes, and products involved during the different phases of construction projects. To address these limitations, this study a) develops a framework to identify cybersecurity risks in the construction industry, and b) assesses the vulnerability of traditional and hybrid delivery methods based on an agent based model (ABM). That is, the vulnerability of different project participants and construction entities during the different phases of the life-cycle of construction projects as a consequence of Construction 4.0. The findings from this study help to identify potential risks and provide a basis to assess the impact of interactions in a digital environment among different project participants. Future work aims to thoroughly investigate the proposed ABM approach and extend the same to other project delivery methods and information exchange networks in construction projects. IntroductionAfter a long history of under -digitization , the construction industry is making a shift towards digitization and automation due to rapidly growing information and communication technologies such as 3D printing , blockchain , and robotics. This is referred to as Construction 4.0, which is the construction industry's surrogate of Industry 4.0. The aim is to have connected systems at every stage in the life-cycle of a construction project , starting from the bidding phase to the end of life, including operation and maintenance. One of the key benefits of Construction 4.0 is the utilization of data as a result of digitization and connected systems during different life-cycle stages. Due to the nature of construction projects, large amounts of data are generated, such as competitive bidding information , design specifications , engineered calculations , intellectual property related information , pricing , profit /loss data, banking records , employee information , quality , safety , and productivity related standards and practices . In most cases, this data contains highly confidential, sensitive, or proprietary information.

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The digitalization and automation of the construction sector, known as Construction 4.0, are transforming positively the way we plan, design, execute, and operate construction projects. However, they are also increasing the vulnerability of construction projects and making the architecture, engineering, construction, and facility management (AEC-FM) industry subject to cyberattacks. Although current cybersecurity practices are relevant, they cannot be directly adopted because of the unique challenges faced by the AEC-FM industry, such as complex supply chains, interoperability, and dynamic workforce from project to project. Current literature suggests that, though current standards and practices are relevant, industry-specific studies need to be conducted before they can be successfully integrated. To that extent, this study investigates the cybersecurity threat modeling for construction projects by developing a framework that identifies what might be compromised, how might it happen, why would someone intend to do it, what would be the impact, and what could be done to prevent it. Specifically, the objectives are to a) develop a preliminary threat model relevant to construction that can be used by construction stakeholders with minimal cybersecurity expertise, b) show the feasibility of the approach by using illustrative threat models for each of the life cycle phases of a construction project, and c) use the commissioning phase of a building as a case study to show a possible countermeasure for the cyber threats that could occur during the testing or certification process of a given system. This study addresses essential components to enable the full potential of (i.e., digitalization and automation of the construction industry) and define research areas needed to pave the roadmap for the future of the construction industry and successful development of Construction 4.0. The proposed framework will help analyze, examine, and address the safety and security of stakeholders and systems during crucial phases of a construction project (e.g., pre-construction, construction, and operation).