Securing Smart Cities Issues Guidelines for Information Security in a Smart City

Securing Smart Cities, the not-for-profit global initiative that addresses thecyber security challenges of smart cities, is today releasingguidelineson the role of information security within a smart city department (SCD).  The guide aims to provide public and private organisations with a baseline when developing the information security role within the SCD they are creating, supporting the promotion and propagation of smart city services.

In smart cities, information security plays a major role in protecting the higher levels of confidentiality, availability, and integrity as well as the stability that national services and organizations need to support sustainable and livable smart environments. This guide provides an illustration of the key elements that organisations need to examine, and be aware of, when defining the role of SCDs, in order to achieve the best safety and resilience. From the influence of technology adoption, services quality, and legislative compliance, to the efficiency and sustainability of operations.

“These guidelines are yet another step towards Securing Smart Cities (SSC), as the name of the initiative suggests. We’re trying to enhance everyone’s understanding of the smart city requirements, by developing useful insights and sharing expertise with the people who will be responsible for the development and management of smart cities. The document is based on the experience of the SSC community members, who are involved in large scale cyber governance, as well as other security specialists: from penetration testers to industrial security experts,” said Mohamad Amin Hasbini, Securing Smart Cities board member and security expert at Kaspersky Lab.

“In-keeping with our efforts to provide practical resources for organizations, the Securing Smart Cities initiative is releasing these new guidelines to help provide valuable recommendations in making our current and future cities more secure,” said Cesar Cerrudo, Securing Smart Cities board member and chief technology officer for IOActive. 

The outline of the Smart City Department Cyber Security Role and Implications guide includes:

• The SCD
• The SCD cyber security responsibilities
  • Governance and leadership support
  • Infrastructure support
  • Risk management optimization
  • Legal support
  • Collaborative threat intelligence

For a full copy of the Smart City Department Cyber Security Role and Implications guide, please visit:  http://securingsmartcities.org/?p=483

For a full copy of the Cyber Security Guidelines for Smart City Technology Adoption, please visit: http://securingsmartcities.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Guidlines_for_Safe_Smart_Cities.pdf

For more information, and to see the most recent updates on Securing Smart Cities activities, please visit: http://securingsmartcities.org.