SAN FRANCISCO—The commercial real estate (CRE) industry is in the midst of a transformation. The influx of big data and the ubiquity of information have contributed to the rapid adoption of CRE software services. According to Deloitte, investment in real estate tech startups recently hit $33.7 billion, up from $2.4 billion in 2008. Yet with more data—and more value at stake—comes new risks.

Critical deal information, financial models, tenant information and proprietary research are valuable resources in the CRE industry. Everything from a simple oversight to a sophisticated malware exploit could prove costly. BNP Real Estate, for instance, recently got hit by a particularly virulent strain of ransomware that caused significant downtime.

Whether it be from careless handling of data or malicious activity, these risks can compromise transactions, or worse, irreparably harm the company's returns and reputation as a professional and trustworthy fiduciary.