When fully connected, a rapidly emerging class of technologies can profoundly improve the lives of citizens in so-called “Smart Cities.” However, as we connect and digitise infrastructures – whether they are public or private, it’s essential to implement thoughtful safeguards. One thing is clear: the best security option is the cloud, which enforces the use of strong security practices and leverages the economies of common infrastructures.
Making Cities Smart
Smart Cities work to make life better and more economically attractive for citizens. Today, we see Smart Cities emerging in a variety of ways. The following are a few examples of real world installations:
- Intelligent street lighting enables the monitoring of energy expenditures and controls which adjusts lighting levels depending on surrounding traffic levels. These enable both reduced energy consumption and improved public safety.
- Smart solar compacting trash cans that collect trash and recyclable materials, reduce collection frequencies, and limit harmful environment exposures. This approach once again reduces cost and improves public health.
- Intelligent transit systems that not only provide location and arrival times, but also provide onboard Internet service and entertainment for riders and preventative monitoring of health of the transit system components.
Security Issues in Smart Cities
Seemingly every day, there are news reports of wide-scale security breaches and cyber-attacks, so concerns about personal security, data theft, and Internet hacking are well-founded. It is easy to see why the theft or access to key identity information (such as credit card, Social Security numbers and other personal information) is harmful. But why would anyone care about lawn-sprinkler schedules? Why add authentication and encryption to traffic lights? Why care about security in monitoring the flow of waste water?
Here’s why: Smart Cities present and contain valuable information from utilities and smart grids to energy and power systems, making them tempting targets for those intent on wreaking large-scale havoc through disruptions and damage. The consequences of an attack on these systems could also create a domino effect, leading to stolen passwords, losses of financial information, and other significant damage. So, how can we prevent this?
Security in the Cloud
Many believe that the cloud is insecure and provides increased risk. However we find that application of good security practice is they key and that centralised data collection and management in the cloud is provides an environment much more conducive to securing the Internet of Things, embedded systems, and Smart Cities.
Closed, on-premise proprietary systems tend to be less secure because security is expensive and complex. On the other hand, large cloud-based systems have the size and scale to feasible adopt and support security best practices.
With the cloud as your primary security system, you can follow good security practices and leverage economies of common infrastructure. The cloud is an effective security option for Smart Cities because access must be controlled, data must be encrypted, and authentication must be ensured. Fortunately, this is feasible because an individual municipality needn’t hire and train experts in these disciplines – the cloud provider and its experts handle the security while the city manages its assets and keeps the (intelligent) lights on. If the cloud manager notices abnormal activity, such as a user logging in from a remote area, at risk entry points can be detected and quarantined.
Other benefits of the cloud include secure password protection or one centrally managed password, the ability to identify individual access to Smart City information and logins, and cost effectiveness – since many devices working together en masse in the cloud are more intelligent and less expensive.
While we continue to build out our Smart Cities and build up their capabilities, we must ensure that we begin with security from the ground up. Simply put, Smart City managers must be smart about requiring good security practices from the beginning – and that starts with the cloud.
Joel Young has more than 29 years of experience in developing and managing data and voice communications. He joined Digi International as vice president of Engineering in June 2000 and is currently the vice president of research and development and chief technical officer. Company website: http://www.digi.com/
