We would never build a skyscraper that is not adequately supported by a solid foundation.
The development of “smart cities” is in full swing around the world and in US cities, municipalities have embraced the belief that by adding intelligence and automation, their growing urban challenges can be more easily solved. But all approaches will require a commitment to smart planning and an investment in citizens, steps we don’t seem ready to take yet.
Smart cities are urban areas that use extensive automation, data collection, and managed services to speed the delivery of government services to citizens, as well as improve the ability of systems to use resources more efficiently. The smart city movement is driven by a worldwide trend of people moving to urban areas, thus creating mega-urban regions. Smart city advocates proclaim that we must increase our ability to manage people and processes to ensure a harmonious existence for all. However, I think the projected $34bn “smart” market might have something to do with the momentum.
The cybersecurity challenges of recent years will magnify to unimaginable consequences if we do not adequately integrate a young population capable of responding to system failures. Vulnerabilities such as denial of service to 911 systems will need to be better managed by internal experts. HAS cybersecurity culture it will be a requirement, not just a goal.
To be sure, an inept, incompetent, or cheap approach to building a smart city could hasten the loss of a municipal heartbeat. Look at the damage horribly constructed levies caused in New Orleans or the effect on Puerto Rican livelihoods when a utility company let their poles rot instead of properly maintaining them. In both situations, it was the resilience and skill of the affected people that facilitated the solutions.
Smart cities will require the sharing of vast amounts of personal data and will change our current perspectives on privacy. For example, sensors and cameras installed on streets and buildings will always know your location. When thinking about life in a smart city, it is essential to understand that a cyber outage will not only expose a person to identity theft, but could leave them without essential functions like drinking water.
One problem is that engineers and planners focus on delivering functionality without the right strategies and safety nets. Hackers are experts at turning unknown computing assets into a network of bots that concentrate millions of messages on a target to remove functionality. Our current focus is a second set of professionals who will look at hardening the system after the build rather than before. They realize the security costs and will affect the calculation that supports a “go” or “no go” decision.
We could agree that these smart city improvements are good for society. However, ill-conceived strategies, driven by political control and financial gain, will ensure a digital house of cards. This is especially true without the strong human element prepared to correct oversights and emerging threats. In this new world, an overlay of smart urban areas will connect industrial control systems, such as those used for transportation, government services, and security. Without the proper restrictions and privacy compromises, today’s personal vulnerabilities will become future municipal vulnerabilities. To proactively position ourselves, we need enlightened and talented young adults who can combine technical knowledge with innovative thinking.
Consider that security researchers have just found a new CrashOverride and Industroyer directed weapon whose sole design is to be a cyber weapon targeting control system. Let’s not forget how effective Stuxnet was in weakening Iran’s nuclear program. That attack targeted the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system architecture. It will be our empowered youth who quickly build useful solutions to these potentially catastrophic attacks. As an older generation, we will depend on them to maintain our way of life.
Our security challenges will be technological in nature, but the real damage will occur due to the lack of training of people who can handle the technology. The ability to connect trends that point to vulnerabilities and systematically leverage the exchange of information on cyber threats, both technological and human, is a requirement. Ignoring the need for skilled people to focus on designing secure smart systems is a losing proposition. Building resilience into the planning stage of projects doesn’t just mean better-secured teams.
I often discuss the human factors involved in implementing “smart technology” with security expert Dr. Calvin Nobles. We agree that planners rule out threats that accelerate along with our technological progress. Planners avoid real conversations about human factors. For example, how would a responsible person sitting in a critical position react to a crisis? Training is a cost and is therefore removed from conversations vital to the safe advancement of capability.
We must begin to see people as critical factors in facilitating desired technological advances. Aligning the training that supports each phase of the new capability with the human response capability will provide a strong foundation. Currently, our youth are not being directed into careers consistent with stabilizing our future society. Basic coding is great, but we also need to help young people develop a vision for the future and create a strategy that is inherently responsible for empowering the next generation. We would never build a skyscraper that is not adequately supported by a solid foundation. Let us work now to provide our youth with a stable platform to manage, build and protect our future nation.