Strategies for mitigating cybersecurity challenges to fund management in the digitalized real estate industry

Fund management (FM), a critical managerial aspect of the real estate (RE) industry, is increasingly threatened by cybersecurity challenges. This study examines the challenges and proposes technology-based and conventional (non-technology-based) strategies for mitigating them efficiently and sustainably, emphasizing the application of the former. The study relied on secondary data besides participant observation and introspection on experiential learning. Qualitative method was employed. Systematic review and content and thematic analyses were deployed for synthesis and analysis of data. The analysis shows that artificial intelligence (AI), smart technologies, new media and other 21st century cutting edge technologies have the capacity to significantly mitigate the cybersecurity challenges confronting FM in the RE industry. The study concludes that as the challenges increasingly emerge with the digitalization of RE, viable conventional and technology-based strategies should be devised and deployed significantly to mitigate them. By so doing, digitally secured financial transactions, effective FM, cash flow control, market stability, profit maximization, etc. would be attained at a high extent.