Unlocking the Potential of IoT in Smart Cities: A Policy Maker’s Guide

December 5, 2023

Smart Cities, with their multifaceted planning considerations, are undeniably complex endeavours. Among these considerations, security stands out as paramount. In guiding policymakers toward the creation of smart cities, security should take precedence over every other aspect. Recent years have witnessed a substantial increase in cyber attacks on infrastructures, companies, and public and private services. These attacks are not only more frequent but also more sophisticated, professional, and costly. State-supported hackers and organized crime now possess unprecedented resources, including access to top universities and supercomputers.

 

To fully harness the transformative potential of the Internet of Things (IoT) in building future urban cities, we must first develop and implement an impenetrable security solution with a multi-decade horizon. This challenge is further compounded by the impending arrival of quantum computing, which threatens to render traditional defense solutions obsolete within the next five to ten years.

 

While interconnected and sustainable smart cities are imperative for addressing future challenges such as pollution reduction, energy optimization, and climate change mitigation, the very interconnectedness that makes them powerful also exposes them to heightened security risks. Attacks on a smart city's infrastructure can range from remote assaults to neighbourhood-level infiltrations by malicious groups exploiting vulnerabilities in the millions of connected components.

Consider the potential devastation of an attack on a highly interconnected smart city with autonomous vehicles, intelligent energy distribution, advanced industrial production, e-government, and e-public services. Instead of improving citizens' quality of life, such an attack could unleash havoc on an unimaginable scale.

 

My advice to policymakers is to prioritize security with the utmost care. This translates into several key rules:

 

  1. Mandate the implementation of a post-quantum cryptographic standard, following NIST's announcement of its completion.
  2. Evaluate ongoing smart city conversions to incorporate the above encryption into their planning and deployment.
  3. Develop a swift transition plan to a post-quantum cryptographic standard for every smart city.
  4. Encrypt every crucial core service using the recommended method.
  5. Establish horizontal and vertical security barriers to prevent hackers and malware from breaching connected systems.
  6. Implement self-learning AI defence solutions pre-trained to monitor, identify, and terminate any smart city attack.
  7. Apply ultra-resilient protection mechanisms to sensitive or vital units and services.
  8. Enforce defined communication profiles for all devices with real-time monitoring.
  9. Provide regular security training to all employees to enhance their security awareness.
  10. Implement additional precautions for the interaction between smart cities in case of a successful cyber attack.
  11. Continuously review and grant access closely aligned with security requirements for city employees, citizens, and visitors.
  12. Enforce posture management by automatically checking the software versions and device integrity before connecting to the smart city network.

Without a robust, intelligent, post-quantum computing-resistant, and AI-enhanced security system, smart cities will remain vulnerable to cyber attacks that could cause unprecedented disruption, destruction, and potential loss of human lives.

 

In conclusion, the integrity of a smart city is paramount for the flawless functioning of every connected device. To achieve the full potential of smart cities in improving citizens' lives and minimizing environmental impact, rigorous security measures are indispensable. Let us prioritize and ensure the impregnability of our smart cities before succumbing to the allure of implementing new features. Only from a position of strength can we expect adversaries to respond positively to our endeavours for peaceful coexistence.