To evade cyber disasters like what happened in Kiev, Ukraine, which saw entire portions of its power grid brought down by Russian hackers, security researchers and analysts would work together to implement better security infrastructure. Security is something which cannot be considered as an afterthought when it comes to city design, as demonstrated by the hacks and the countless threats that go by unnoticed.
Security conferences focusing on this issue which are held in multiple locations worldwide today have already started to realize this and have begun to urge city officials and tech innovators to adopt better cybersecurity solutions. Smart cities should focus more on intelligent threat detection, maybe by employing more machine learning algorithms to clean the web from vulnerabilities ahead of time.
Some cybersecurity analytics might be of great use to smart cities hoping to assess the hackers. Analytical solutions given by companies to prevent data breaches could be modified and adopted by cities expecting to find gaps in their security infrastructure before they can be exploited by outside attackers.
Smart citizens inside smart cities can make all the difference in the world, too. They are trained to make smart lifestyle choices, secure their data, and contribute to a more public awareness that can go a long way towards prevention of cybersecurity threats. Government officials and the public will definitely have to foster free and open debate about the security solutions they employ. Greater use of biometrics and surveillance, for instance, which smart cities are uniquely in place to implement, will necessarily have some social consequences like spying on citizens. These negatives can’t be forgotten as we move ahead towards a tech-savvy era.
Building resilient cities of the future
Cyber-attacks and data breaches simply can’t be avoided completely. Rather than trying to accomplish the impossible, smart city exponents would be well-suited to wrestle the challenges and encourage wise security investment in IT infrastructure. The development of our social capital, too, is critically important for protecting the cities of tomorrow. Citizens with stronger education and morals will be a crucial part towards securing the center of tomorrow’s societies.
As far as the tech giants are concerned, government regulators and everyday citizens work hand-in-hand with each other. A clear understanding of tomorrow’s risk factor and a willingness to invest the time, money, and effort required to secure our connected cities will it towards assurance of secured smart cities.
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