IT Support, Connectivity & Cybersecurity for UK Construction

Why do construction firms get targeted by cyber criminals?

Construction is now a digital business — BIM models, cloud project management, connected site kit and large supplier payment runs — and that broad attack surface is exactly what criminals exploit. Phishing and business email compromise hit firms that move big invoices between many parties, where one redirected payment can fund an entire fraud.

The numbers below come from the original sector research and named third-party reports. Where a figure cannot be tied to an approved UK authority it is flagged for verification.

The National Cyber Security Centre confirms that phishing remains the most common route into a UK small or medium business, which is why email is the first place construction firms should harden (NCSC small business guide).

How does AMVIA protect construction businesses?

AMVIA wraps a construction firm in a single, security-first stack: Microsoft Defender on every endpoint, Barracuda email and network protection, and round-the-clock monitoring from our in-house UK SOC. You get one provider accountable for detection, response and Microsoft 365 hardening — not a patchwork of resellers.

• Managed detection and response: 24/7 monitoring of endpoints, email and cloud, with our SOC investigating and containing threats.
• Email security and anti-phishing: Barracuda filtering to stop phishing and business email compromise before invoices get redirected.
• Endpoint and mobile security: Microsoft Defender protection for site laptops, tablets and phones, with encryption and remote wipe.
• Cloud and Microsoft 365 security: secure configuration, conditional access and MFA across your tenant.
• Phishing simulation and training: realistic simulations tuned to construction teams and finance staff.

AMVIA holds Cyber Essentials Plus, the UK government-backed standard that independently tests your defences against common internet threats (gov.uk Cyber Essentials).

In-house vs managed security for construction firms

Most construction firms do not have a 24/7 security team, and site work happens long after a 9-to-5 IT desk has gone home. Managed security gives you enterprise-grade detection and a named provider to call during an incident, for a predictable monthly cost rather than the salary bill of an internal security team.

What's your construction cybersecurity checklist?

Use this as a baseline. If you cannot tick every box, those are the gaps an attacker is most likely to find first. AMVIA's incident response team can close them and rehearse your response before a real attack tests it.

• Multi-factor authentication on all email and project management accounts
• Endpoint protection on every device, including site laptops and tablets
• Email filtering with anti-phishing and business email compromise detection
• Regular security awareness training for all staff
• An incident response plan tested at least annually
• Secure backup of project data with offline copies
• A supplier and subcontractor security assessment process

Construction firms in heavy manufacturing supply chains should also read our manufacturing cybersecurity guidance, as the threats overlap heavily.

Beyond security: the full IT stack for construction firms

Security protects the money; connectivity and mobiles are what the business actually runs on day to day — and in construction they have to move with the work. Buying them from separate suppliers means separate contracts, separate helpdesks and nobody accountable when a site can't get online the week the project starts. AMVIA runs the whole estate under one SLA with a <1hr critical response commitment.

Connectivity that follows the work

Head offices and depots run on dedicated leased lines from £69/month or full-fibre business broadband. Sites are different: a temporary office needs internet in days, not the weeks a fixed installation takes, which is where bonded broadband and 4G/5G-based options earn their keep — live fast, then superseded or backed up by a fixed line where the project duration justifies it. Designed together, the whole estate stays on one managed platform instead of a per-site scramble.

A mobile-first workforce, managed

Construction is the sector where business mobiles are the primary endpoint: pricing, procurement, device management, encryption and remote wipe for a fleet that lives in vans and site cabins. Managing mobiles and security together closes the gap attackers use — an unmanaged site phone with company email is an open door however hard the office is locked down.

Phones and support under the same roof

The PSTN switch-off on 31 January 2027 retires the analogue lines many site offices and older premises still use. AMVIA's business VoIP runs from £5.95/user/month and follows the team wherever the job is, while managed IT support at £25–£60/user/month puts helpdesk, patching and backups with the same team that monitors your security. One provider, one SLA — and one number to call from site.