Risks Of Smart City Technology

Posted by mctracy On December 20, 2021

You might have heard of smart technologies, where technology is implemented into the city into structures, buses, sidewalks, with everything communicating at once. Sounds like a wonderful idea, right?

However, there are always risks to implementing new technology into public sectors. Without proper protection, cyber-criminals could have a field day. With smart city technology, one major cyber-attack could shut down an entire city indefinitely, with the threat actor gaining access to data such as the automation of streetlights and street video surveillance systems.

According to an article from the Wall Street Journal, technology is growing at a faster rate than technological security.

“As connectivity speeds become faster, and as companies look for new ways to incorporate technology into everyday life—including smart city infrastructure, driverless cars and the Internet of Things—they not only will make life more convenient and add new value to the way we live but will also offer new opportunities for cyber-criminals to wreak havoc on our world, said the report from the Information Security Forum.” (Wall Street Journal).

Some smart city technologies could be riskier than others, according to an analysis completed by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, according to an article from Stephanie Kanowitz at GCN.

“Experts considered nation-states and insider threats as the most efficient at carrying out any cyberattack. They ranked thrill-seekers and hactivists – those who uses hacking to effect social change – as the least. The report’s goal is to help local policymakers determine the right technologies for their smart city initiatives and their related cyber risk.” (Kanowitz).

The acceleration of technology and the urge to implement it poses the question of how policy makers should approach implementation of smart city technologies.

“Local officials receive a barrage of information about ‘smart city’ solutions to longstanding problems, such as traffic congestion, crime, inefficient use of power and water, and detecting leaky pipes,” the report stated. “Which of these myriad technological solutions hyped by consultancies, conferences and vendors are worth considering? And how should local governments consider the countervailing risks of cyberattack that such new systems may introduce?”

The researchers asked experts to rate 9 smart city technologies according to “technical vulnerability, attractiveness to nation-state attackers and potential impact of a successful attack.” (Kanowitz.)

“Emergency alerts, street video surveillance systems and smart traffic signals are riskier than other smart city solutions, according to a new report.” (Kanowitz). “The report’s goal is to help local policymakers determine the right technologies for their smart city initiatives and their related cyber risk. By breaking that risk into three categories, decision-makers can better see what they’re assuming.”

Considering this report, to not risk catastrophe, cities will need to improve their cyber-security before plans to implement smart city technology take place.

“The report also pointed to other resources for local agencies that want to learn more about the potential risks of various technologies. For instance, the Department of Homeland Security runs training programs, academic institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology offer online courses and certification programs on smart city cybersecurity and organizations such as the American Waterworks Association and Technology Approval Group have groups that study the cyber risks of smart city tech.” (Kanowitz).

Have any questions about cyber-security? Responsive Technology Partners is the leading cyber-security expert in the Athens, Metter, Milledgeville, Vidalia, and Atlanta, Georgia areas. We also have locations in Tampa, Florida, Roanoke, Virginia, and Raleigh South Carolina. Service offerings include I.T. support, cyber-security and compliance, telephony, cloud services, cabling, access control, and camera systems. Our company’s mission is to provide world-class customer service through industry leading I.T. solutions that make every customer feel as if they are our only customer. Please visit our website to learn more: https://www.responsivetechnologypartners.com/.

Sources:

“The Riskiest Smart City Technologies -.” GCN, 12 Apr. 2021, gcn.com/articles/2021/04/12/smart-city-cyber-risks.aspx.

DiPietro, Ben. “Speed of Tech Change a Threat to Cybersecurity.” WSJ, 20 Apr. 2018, www.wsj.com/articles/speed-of-tech-change-a-threat-to-cybersecurity-1524249888.

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