For years, cybersecurity has been seen as a luxury reserved for big enterprises—complex, expensive and seemingly out of reach for every organisation. IT leaders in the housing sector understand the importance of keeping their data and systems secure but many have been deterred by the high costs and complexity associated with traditional solutions.
Thankfully, this is changing. Advances in AI and the emergence of managed services have made enterprise-grade cybersecurity accessible to all sizes of housing provider, helping housing IT managers meet increasingly stringent compliance requirements and tackle evolving cyberthreats, all while staying within tight budgets.
How AI is transforming cybersecurity
Traditional cybersecurity approaches have often relied on large teams of analysts to monitor systems, respond to threats and ensure compliance. This labour-intensive model was not only expensive but also slow to react to new cyberthreats. Today, AI is revolutionising this space by automating many of these tasks, making cybersecurity faster, smarter and more cost-effective.
AI excels at processing vast amounts of data at incredible speed, spotting patterns and anomalies that humans might miss. It can scan network traffic in real time, flagging unusual activity that could signal a cyberattack. This real-time detection is particularly important for housing, where tenants’ sensitive data and operational systems need constant protection.
What’s more, AI doesn’t only react to threats, it can also predict them. By analysing historical data on past attacks, it can identify vulnerabilities before they are exploited, giving IT teams the ability to proactively secure their systems. This predictive capability is a game-changer in a sector that must balance tenant safety, compliance and operational efficiency.
Another long-standing challenge in cybersecurity has been false positives – alerts that seem to indicate a problem but turn out to be harmless. These can overwhelm IT teams, diverting resources from genuine threats. AI addresses this by using advanced algorithms to filter out false positives, ensuring that only real problems demand attention. This makes cybersecurity measures more effective while reducing the workload on overstretched IT teams.
Why housing providers need to prioritise cybersecurity
Social housing providers face many of the same cybersecurity risks as large corporations but often with fewer resources to address them. It’s no secret that cyberattacks can lead to data breaches, disruption of services, financial losses and reputational damage. For housing providers’ IT leaders, the stakes are high: safeguarding sensitive tenant information; ensuring operational continuity; and maintaining compliance with regulatory standards such as GDPR and Cyber Essentials Plus.
On top of this, housing providers’ dedicated applications for areas such as tenant communications, repairs and maintenance, assets and housing management all expand the attack surface for cybercriminals. It’s no longer a question of if your business will be targeted, but when.
Enterprise-grade security at a fraction of the cost
One of the most important advances in recent years has been the rise of managed security operations centres (SOCs). These provide around-the-clock monitoring, threat detection and incident response, traditionally reserved for large enterprises. Now, thanks to AI and economies of scale, managed SOCs are accessible to organisations of all sizes on a subscription basis.
Instead of building and maintaining an in-house 24/7 security team (expensive and resource-intensive), you can rely on a managed SOC to provide:
- Real-time threat detection – Continuous scanning of networks and systems for vulnerabilities or attacks.
- Immediate response – Quick action to contain and minimise damage when a problem arises.
- Expert support – Access to highly-skilled cybersecurity professionals without the need for in-house resources.
Affordable cybersecurity
While a managed SOC is a cornerstone of modern cybersecurity, it’s not the only solution available through the introduction of automation and AI. Other affordable options include:
- Vulnerability scanning – Regular checks to identify and address weaknesses in systems before they can be exploited.
- Penetration testing – Scheduled intelligent testing and attempting to gain access to the infrastructure externally and internally ensure that steps can be taken to remediate problems before they are exploited.
- Patch management – Automated updates to ensure software remains secure and compliant with regulations.
- Phishing protection – Training staff to recognise and avoid email-based attacks, combined with simulations to keep their skills sharp.
- Backup and disaster recovery – Cloud-based solutions to secure critical data and enable quick restoration in the event of an attack or failure.
At Nexus, we’ve seen at first hand how these solutions can transform IT security for housing providers. For example, our work with Cornerstone Housing included migrating its systems to a cloud-based environment, deploying Microsoft Intune for secure device management and improving its network connectivity. These steps not only enhanced security but also improved Cornerstone Housing’s efficiency and tenant services.
Compliance and confidence
The housing sector continues to face growing regulatory pressures, with frameworks such as Cyber Essentials Plus becoming standard requirements for many tenders and partnerships. Achieving compliance can seem daunting, but the right cybersecurity solutions can make it much easier. Managed SOCs, vulnerability scanning and patch management all contribute to meeting these standards while ensuring robust protection against threats.
The human element
Technology alone isn’t enough to keep your business secure. Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility, and staff at all levels need to be aware of the risks and how to mitigate them. From understanding the importance of strong passwords to recognising phishing emails, regular training is essential.
Online training platforms offer an affordable way to keep teams up to date with the latest threats and best practices. These tools can be tailored to the specific needs of your business, ensuring that your staff are equipped to play their part in protecting your organisation.
Take advantage wow
Through our experience of working with a variety of housing providers, we’ve designed our cybersecurity services to be accessible, effective and aligned with your specific needs. From managed SOCs to patch management, our goal is to provide IT leaders with the tools and support they need to protect their organisations, stay compliant and deliver outstanding services to their tenants.
Cybersecurity is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. And with advances in AI and managed services, it’s within closer reach than ever.
Whether you want to achieve Cyber Essentials Plus, protect tenant data or simply reduce the risk of costly disruptions, there’s never been a better time to invest in cybersecurity.
John Brett is the operations director at Nexus Open Systems.
