Construction IT, Burnaby BC
Managed IT Services for Construction Contractors in British Columbia
Construction was the most-attacked industry for ransomware in 2024 [[verify]]. Attackers know a stalled job costs you money every day, so they bet you'll pay fast. We help Canadian contractors lock down Microsoft 365, get project files organized, and test the backups before any of that matters.
- 81+ Google reviews
- ~15-minute response time
- No contracts, month to month
- Microsoft Partner
How it usually looks before we get the call
The official drawing set is ambiguous. The latest markups live in Bluebeam on someone's laptop, an RFI is in a Gmail thread, and the change order is in a spreadsheet nobody else can find.
Microsoft 365 is set up but never hardened. No MFA, SharePoint links shared wide open, and a couple of ex-employees and subs who still have access.
Backups are assumed, not tested. OneDrive sync is not a backup. Ransomware encrypts the synced copy too, so nobody actually knows how long a full restore would take.
Dozens of subs and vendors touch your files. Each set of credentials is a way in, and there's no central record of who can see what.
Worth knowing about privacy and ransomware in construction
A few things that come up a lot with contractors. This is general background, not legal advice.
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Myth: storing files on US servers is illegal under Canadian privacy law
It isn't. PIPEDA doesn't ban cross-border or US data storage. It lets you use processors like Microsoft 365, Procore, or Google as long as you put security and contract measures in place and stay accountable for the data. If you'd rather keep personal data in Canada, Microsoft does run datacentres in Toronto and Quebec City, and that's a real option.
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OneDrive and SharePoint sync is not a backup
This is the one that bites hardest. Ransomware encrypts the synced copy along with the original. You need a separate, versioned backup that you've actually restored from, so your recovery time is known and not a guess.
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Privacy rules apply to contractors too
PIPEDA covers private businesses that handle personal information in commercial activity, and there's no small-business exemption. For most contractors the personal data that triggers obligations is employee data (SINs, payroll, banking) and client or homeowner data, separate from drawings and bids.
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You have to keep records of breaches for two years
Under PIPEDA you must keep records of all breaches of security safeguards for at least 24 months, whether or not they were serious enough to report. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner can ask to see them. A breach that creates a real risk of significant harm must be reported to the OPC as soon as feasible.
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Not every breach has to be reported
The trigger is the real risk of significant harm test, things like financial loss, identity theft, or damage to reputation. The risk has to be real, not just possible. So the answer isn't to panic, it's to have records and a plan. If you operate in more than one province, it's worth checking whether PIPEDA, BC or Alberta PIPA, or Quebec's Law 25 applies to you.
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Downtime tolerance is the real squeeze
Industry research suggests the average construction ransomware incident causes around 24 days of downtime, while 77% of firms say they can't go more than 5 days without project documentation [[verify]]. That gap is why attackers expect a fast payment, and why tested backups matter more here than in most industries.
Umbrella IT Services is an IT company, not a law firm. This is general information, not legal or professional advice. For your own obligations, check with a qualified advisor.
Sources
- Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, National Cyber Threat Assessment 2025-2026
- Rapid7, Threat Landscape of the Building and Construction Sector: Ransomware
- OPC, Mandatory reporting of breaches of security safeguards (PIPEDA)
- OPC, Report a privacy breach at your business
- Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, Ransomware Threat Outlook 2025-2027
- Canadian Underwriter, Behind the alarming rise of cyberattacks in the construction industry
What makes us different
Month-to-month, no onboarding fee
No long contracts and no setup charge to get started. If we're not earning the work, you can leave.
11-minute average response time
When a crew is stuck on site, you get a real person fast. No junior techs learning on your account.
Microsoft 365 with Canadian data residency
Microsoft runs datacentres in Toronto and Quebec City. For firms that want personal data kept in Canada, we can set that up and harden it with MFA.
Backups we test by restoring
Separate, versioned backups that we actually restore from, not just sync. So you know your real recovery time before an incident, not after.
Security led by a former IDF security officer
A written policy program of about 178 policies, run by someone whose job is security, not a tech doing it on the side.
Quarterly business reviews
We sit down every quarter to look at risk, spend, and what's coming up on your jobs. You see where the money goes.
What we set up for construction firms
We start with a look at your Microsoft 365, your file setup, and your backups. Then we fix the gaps in order, worst first. The goal is one clear place for project files, access you control, and a restore you've watched work.
- Harden Microsoft 365: MFA on every account, clean up over-shared SharePoint links, remove ex-employees and subs who still have access
- Get the official drawing set sorted in SharePoint or alongside Procore and Bluebeam, so there's one source of truth
- Set up separate, versioned backups and prove the restore time by running it
- Sort access for the field-and-office split: tablets on site, desktops in the office, consistent rules across both
- Optional white-glove migration to Microsoft 365 with a no-downtime guarantee if you need to move
- 30% off projects and labour for clients on an agreement
Results you can measure
12 Things to Check Before Your Next Big Bid: Microsoft 365 and Backups for Construction Firms
Sort this out before a job gets locked
A 20-minute call. We look at your setup, tell you the two or three things worth fixing first, and you decide what to do with that. No pressure to sign anything.