As local authorities continue to develop more data-driven, smart city environments, cyber security is becoming an increasingly important consideration, with new security principles guidance being released by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
The new report - Connected Places Cyber Security Principles - is designed to help authorities build awareness and understanding of the security considerations needed to design, build and manage their increasingly interconnected places.
The greater the volume of data which is being shared and transferred around these smart cities, the more challenging it becomes to both maintain resiliency to cyber threats and effectively manage the data gathered.
Within the new guidance, the NCSC outlines a series of recommended cyber security principles to help ensure the safety and optimum management of connected places and their underlying infrastructure.
The guidance has been designed primarily to support the local and national authorities responsible for the design, build and operation of UK smart cities.
Particularly, it is geared to support risk owners, CISOs, cyber security architects and engineers, as well as other personnel who will be involved in the day-to-day operations of these connected places’ infrastructure.
Within that infrastructure is included the wider connected systems, including local areas where data is collected through sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Within these connected areas, this guidance supports singular or multiple service functions.
Such examples could include:
- traffic light management
- CCTV
- waste management
- streetlight management
- parking management
- transport services
- public services (such as health/social care, or emergency services)
The full report can be NCSC downloaded here.
