Friday, March 31, 2023
No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • AI
  • EV
  • AR
  • VR
  • BIOTECH
  • CRYPTO
  • ROBOTS
  • SPACE
  • BLOCKCHAIN
  • STOCK LIST
    • VR STOCK LIST
    • BLOCKCHAIN STOCK LIST
    • EV STOCK LIST
    • CRYPTO STOCK LIST
    • SPACE STOCK LIST
    • AR STOCK LIST
    • FINTECH STOCK LIST
    • CLEAN TECH STOCK LIST
    • CLOUD STOCK LIST
    • BIOTECH STOCK LIST
    • CYBER SECURITY STOCK LIST
    • ROBOTICS STOCK LIST
    • IOT STOCK LIST
    • 5G STOCK LIST
    • AI STOCK LIST
    • 3D PRINTING STOCK LIST
  • MORE
    • 3D PRINTING
    • 5G
    • CLOUD
    • CLEAN TECHNOLOGY
    • CYBER SECURITY
    • FINTECH
    • IOT
  • CONTACT US
    • ABOUT US
    • CONTACT US
  • Login
  • Subscription
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Cart
Home CYBER SECURITY

Securing the Smart City of the Future

disruptiveinvesting by disruptiveinvesting
July 1, 2021
Reading Time: 6 mins read
0
Securing the Smart City of the Future

The concept of a “smart city” can hardly be considered the city of the future anymore. Instead, it’s the new normal. With rapid advances in the Internet of Things (IoT), local governments are investing in and implementing the means to improve efficiency and convenience for its citizens. But all of this spending on smart cities comes with its fair share of challenges. As cities become more advanced, so do the cyber attacks that threaten them.

RELATED POSTS

What’s it like for the Future of Cybersecurity

Deepfake Technology, Implications for the Future

Future Cyberattacks Could Potentially Disable The Economy of an Entire Country

Everything in a city—from street lights, traffic signals and cameras, electric and gas meters and sewers can all feed into the digital infrastructure, so it’s important to understand that these endpoints require network-related security services in the middle.

What does a smart city look like?

The city of the future comprises a complex ecosystem of services that span public and private entities, people, processes, devices and infrastructure—all of which are constantly interacting with each other. It encompasses elements like:

  • Smart grids, or the use of technology to improve the communication, automation and connectivity of an electric power network.
  • Autonomous vehicles and self-driving transport.
  • 5G and IoT-enabled technologies to bring innovations to the management of waste, energy, water and intelligent transport systems.
  • Traffic Data Services, using wireless data to help traffic planners improve how people move through the city.
  • Using smart lighting in streets to make cities feel safer and make lights more efficient.
  • Using AI and AR to make a city more people-focused, bringing immersive technologies to improve residents’ self-reliance, self-service and decision-making.

Interconnectivity is a Double-Edged Sword

Smart cities run on the backbone of sensors and IoT devices that are connected – to each other, to control systems and external systems – over the internet and cloud computing architectures. They transmit personal and confidential data through unsecure channels, with devices that are not patched and don’t support data encryption. The very interconnectivity that makes a smart city work also creates substantial cybersecurity risks. Every access point expands sensitive data exposure vulnerabilities and digital attacks have already begun.

Securing the Smart City of the Future

What are the cyber security challenges faced in a smart city?

The more connected we get, the more risk we take on by increasing the attack surface. A smart city must remain vigilant against the threat actors that are increasingly targeting municipalities, using a vector that is getting bigger and less visible. Three key factors influence cyber risk in cities: the blurring lines between the physical and digital worlds; the interoperability between old and new platforms; and the integration of services leading to weak points in the network. Smart cities and cyber security must be considered hand-in-hand.

The smart city is at risk of threats on multiple vectors, and there are plenty of real-world examples to learn from.

DDoS Attacks – We’ve seen a rise in the number of hackers actively searching the internet to hijack smart systems. Hackers use these smart devices to download and install malware, and then launch DDoS attacks on other targets. These devices, though, can also provide an entry point to internal systems. The US Department of Energy reported in April 2019 that grid operators in Los Angeles County, California, and Salt Lake County, Utah, suffered a DDoS attack that disrupted operations but did not cause any outages.

Subscription
ADVERTISEMENT

Ransomware – The 2020 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report found that ransomware is a large problem for the public administration sector, with persistent misdelivery and misconfiguration errors—75% of actor motives were financial, with 19% for espionage and 3% for “fun.” The report details a few city attacks in 2019, including the City of Baltimore being paralyzed by the RobbinHood ransomware in May. In addition, 22 Texas towns were infected with Trickbot, followed by Sodinokibi ransomware in August, after attackers breached their managed service provider and used its remote management tool to distribute the malware.

Lack of cryptographic measures – The weakest point in any system is often human error—phishing is still one of the top threat action varieties, according to the 2020 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report. Smart cities should not just focus on the big issues; they need to also pay close attention to identity governance and encrypting data and access.

Easy Targets or Preventable Crime?

Cities make easy targets for cyber-criminals because they lag behind in technology usage and familiarity. The underlying technology running their critical infrastructure is, at best, outdated. The technological acceleration that transforms existing cities to smarter ones adds complexity. Smart cities aren’t built in one go, but rather evolve over time. Given that they use technologies that are initially experimental in nature, they remain perpetual beta versions – increasing the probability of mishaps.

Cities currently generate 70% of the world’s gross domestic product. This translates to an easy path for financial gains for cyber-criminals who can breach a smart city’s defenses. Smart cities must, therefore, be secure by design, not bolted on after systems are in place. They should base their systems on rock-solid, intuitive and automated security protocols and policies right from the start, consulting with and involving citizens at every stage. This will help build confidence and ownership about upholding citizens’ privacy requirements.

Atlanta was held hostage to a massive ransomware cyber-attack in 2018. The breach shuttered many devices for five days, interrupted law enforcement, business licenses and even America’s busiest airport, among several other disruptions. Ransomware attacks also took out most of Baltimore’s servers and paralyzed its 911 emergency call center in the same year, costing $18m in damages.

Attacks aren’t limited to American cities. Dublin’s tram system was disrupted in a ransomware attack, as was Stockholm’s air traffic control and railway ticketing systems. Power supplies to Johannesburg and Hyderabad were also crippled through ransomware attacks. Apart from ransomware, cyber-criminals deploy numerous other techniques including remote execution, signal jamming, as well as traditional means, such as malware, data manipulation and distributed denial of service attacks. Their digital arsenals are sourced from the deep web and their weapons are fully automated, powering attacks that can run 24/7.

How can we protect the city of the future?

In an increasingly connected landscape, a smart city is only as secure as its weakest link. Infrastructure needs to be future-proofed, but it needs to be done so in a “smart” way. First and foremost, smart cities must invest in cyber security. ABI Research found the energy, health care, public security, transport, and water and waste sectors are “woefully underfunded and incredibly vulnerable to cyberattacks.”

More than that, though, is the necessary education to shift culture and behavior for both workers and residents. Municipal governments should implement a security awareness and training program, install perimeter defenses and ensure secure configurations. Additionally, city planners should consult with experts in smart cities and cyber security who can help to ensure the right measures are taken, the right training is in place and the right recovery plans are ready for action. Because it’s not a matter of if the city is attacked—but when.

References

  1. Securing the Smart City of the Future – https://www.govtech.com/smart-cities/securing-the-smart-city-of-the-future.html
  2. Interconnectivity is a Double-Edged Sword – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/opinions/securing-smart-cities-future/
Tags: Cyber Securities
ShareTweetShare
https://disruptiveinvesting.io/subscription/
disruptiveinvesting

disruptiveinvesting

Related Posts

What’s it like for the Future of Cybersecurity
CYBER SECURITY

What’s it like for the Future of Cybersecurity

July 2, 2021
Deepfake Technology, Implications for the Future
CYBER SECURITY

Deepfake Technology, Implications for the Future

July 1, 2021
Future Cyberattacks Could Potentially Disable The Economy of an Entire Country
CYBER SECURITY

Future Cyberattacks Could Potentially Disable The Economy of an Entire Country

July 1, 2021
Is the Future of Cybersecurity Passwordless?
CYBER SECURITY

Is the Future of Cybersecurity Passwordless?

July 1, 2021
AI and Machine Learning in Cybersecurity, How They Will Shape the Future
CYBER SECURITY

AI and Machine Learning in Cybersecurity, How They Will Shape the Future

June 30, 2021
Next Post
Future Cyberattacks Could Potentially Disable The Economy of an Entire Country

Future Cyberattacks Could Potentially Disable The Economy of an Entire Country

Deepfake Technology, Implications for the Future

Deepfake Technology, Implications for the Future

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended Stories

How 5G Technology Will Change The World

How 5G Technology Will Change The World

June 29, 2021
5 Ways How Robotaxis and Driverless Cars Will Change The Future

5 Ways How Robotaxis and Driverless Cars Will Change The Future

July 20, 2021
Future Financial Projections China AI Market

Future Financial Projections China AI Market

July 19, 2021

Popular Stories

  • Top 10 Disruptive Technologies

    The Top 10 Disruptive Technologies That Will Impact Your Future Life

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • What Is Disruptive Technology?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Future of Cryptocurrency In The Next 10 Years

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • 10 Real World Applications of Blockchain Tech

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • 5 Scenarios 3D Printing Will Disrupt Our Everyday Lives In The Future

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Disruptive technologies are driving many of today’s important business trends. Our goal is to showcase trends that help investors re-imagine by identifying and financing businesses that use the disruptive technologies to solve global problems.

  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us

Best Categories

  • 3D PRINTING
  • 5G
  • AI
  • ALL
  • AR
  • BIOTECH
  • BLOCKCHAIN
  • CLEAN TECH
  • CLOUD
  • CRYPTO
  • CYBER SECURITY
  • EV
  • FINTECH
  • IOT
  • ROBOTS
  • SPACE
  • VR

© 2021 Copyright PredictAny, LLC - Disruptiveinvesting.

No Result
View All Result
  • 3D Printing
  • 3D Printing Stocklist
  • 5G
  • 5G Stocklist
  • About us
  • AI
  • AI Stocklist
  • AR
  • AR Stocklist
  • BIOTECH
  • BioTech Stocklist
  • BLOCKCHAIN
  • BlockChain Stocklist
  • Cart
  • categories
  • Checkout
  • Clean Technology
  • CleanTech Stocklist
  • Cloud
  • Cloud Stocklist
  • contact us
  • CRYPTO
  • Crypto Stocklist
  • Custom page
  • Cyber Security
  • Cyber Security Stocklist
  • dummy1
  • EV
  • EV Stocklist
  • FinTech
  • Fintech Stocklist
  • Home
  • IoT
  • IOT Stocklist
  • Main
  • My account
  • Privacy Policy
  • Robotics Stocklist
  • ROBOTS
  • Sample Page
  • Shop
  • Space
  • Space Stocklist
  • Subscription
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Test 20
  • Thank You
  • trending tags
  • VR
  • VR Stocklist

© 2021 Copyright PredictAny, LLC - Disruptiveinvesting.

Login Account

CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT? SIGNUP

Login your account using social account

Facebook
Google
Linked In
OR

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

ALREADY HAVE AN ACCOUNT? LOGIN

Sign up a new account using social account

Facebook
Google
Linked In
OR

By clicking below to sign up you agree to receive emails from considering and its affiliates and accept our Terms of use, Privacy Policy, and cookies policy.

All fields are required.

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?