IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

Speaking at the annual Biometrics Institute Australia conference in Sydney last week, Dr Helen Cartledge said that RFID chips, including those located within banking cards and e-Passports issued by the government, are at risk from wireless skimming devices.

"e-Passport utilizes basic access control (BAC) to prevent personal information being extracted without actually handing over the document. Extended Access Control is used to protect other information such as fingerprint [data]. Credit cards, however, do not have the same type of safeguards and some of the information they contain may be vulnerable if attackers are nearby with a transceiver [reader] at the same frequency range as your e-tag or cards--they may get access to some of your information," Cartledge added.

With rapid urbanization, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IOT) play a key role in enhancing the urban landscape. With the evolution of smart cities, large volume of data has become an opportunity as well as a challenge. In today’s age, data analytics and artificial intelligence are powerful tools to handle great volume of information and help in the management of smart cities.

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon agreed Wednesday to increase cooperation with Estonia in cybersecurity and other areas during talks with his Estonian counterpart, Juri Ratas.

Estonia is a world leader in electronic government and is a member of the "Digital-5," a grouping of five e-government leaders that also includes South Korea, Britain, New Zealand and Israel.

Ratas was on a visit to South Korea for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

The Covid-19 pandemic has not only posed a threat to our health but has also given a rise in cyber-attacks causing a detrimental effect to the global economy.

This was revealed by Gauteng MEC for Finance and e-Government, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko during a Cyber Security webinar to raise awareness on the importance of cyber security on Wednesday.

Dr. Hisham Saleh Bin Abbas, the supervisor of the Internet services unit, said that the service is designed to enable users of the KACST website, from academic and research institutions, to save the data of their backup copies for reference in case of an emergency.

Dong Wu, vice president of Huawei Enterprise Middle East, was speaking during the fourth annual Kingdom e-government summit held in Riyadh on Monday and Tuesday.

The company showcased its latest security solutions during the summit, which focused on confidentiality, integrity and availability to address challenges that governments face when building e-government platforms.

Eric Tamrkin, from The Institute for Security Studies said “Given the report that Africa is becoming cybercrime safe harbour, the problem could hamper economic growth, foreign investment and security. Policy makers need a cogent response to cybercrime which is informed by a clear understanding of emerging threats and how other countries have formed strategies in response; countries on the continent should adopt a multi-layered approach”

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is working on creating a futuristic computing system, including India's own operating system, said V.K. Saraswat, Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister and DRDO Director-General.

Talking to journalists after inaugurating the DRDO Transit Facility here on Saturday, Dr. Saraswat said: “We do not have our own operating system. Today, various bodies, including banks and defence establishments, need security. Having our own operating system will help us prevent hacking of our systems.”

Biometrics are just the beginning in efforts by tech companies to come up with new authentication systems that are more secure and more convenient than conventional passwords.

Here’s the fundamental problem with passwords: They are most effective in protecting a company when they are long, complicated and changed frequently. In other words, when employees are least likely to remember them.

Smart City network infrastructure demands a proactive approach to find vulnerabilities before hackers find them

Smart technology continues to change how people live and interact with the cities around them. While the full value of a connected city evolves – one that leverages innovations powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning – cybersecurity stands as one of its greatest challenges.

High crime rates are a reality of South African life. For that reason, a number of our cities have already created camera-based monitoring systems to deter criminals, or identify and prosecute them if they transgress the law.

One example is Safe City Msunduzi, an entity of the Msunduzi Municipality, which monitors 169 CCTV cameras across Pietermaritzburg. Some are going even further – like the City of Cape Town, which is building on its camera-based system to deploy drones, gunshot sensors and a tech-heavy Highway Patrol Unit that will automatically scan number plates.

As Australia grinds ever-closer to putting our health records online from (allegedly) 1 July, disturbing news is emerging. US hospitals are seeing more data breaches, and Australian medical experts warn that patient safety could be put at risk.

FireEye, Inc. (NASDAQ: FEYE), the leader in stopping today's advanced cyber-attacks, has announced that it will soon be hosting the first government focused Security Seminar in Kuwait in collaboration with the Central Agency for Information Technology. The Seminar will be organized by NoufEXPO.

Scheduled to be hosted at the auditorium of the Central Agency for Information Technology on the 18th of May, the event aims to shed light on the lesson learned from the slew of recent attacks and exchange best practices to help government entities in Kuwait reinforce security investments and strategies in an era of digitization and heightened connectivity.

Launching the system yesterday, Assurity Trusted Solutions, a subsidiary of the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA), said it was targeting key sectors like government and healthcare, and discussions are on-going with between 30 and 50 companies in these sectors.

Difficulty in remembering complex passwords a growing concern, says cyber-security expert

Using passwords to protect online systems could soon be a thing of the past as other security measures - including biometrics authentication - are gaining favour among tech players.

Speaking to The Sunday Times on Wednesday, Microsoft's cybersecurity field chief technology officer Diana Kelley said the industry has become increasingly concerned over the difficulty that people face in remembering and designing complex passwords.

Speaking to over 240 public sector leaders at the 11th annual FutureGov Forum Singapore, Mohamad emphasised the growing importance of ICT in Singapore’s journey of becoming an intelligent city.

Emerging technologies such as Web 2.0 and cloud computing, plus new ways of transacting and accessing information through new media, have bolstered the importance of online security for public sector institutions.

The public sector typically holds the personal data of its citizens, as well as other sensitive national information.

Introduction:

The integration of cutting-edge technology has become a cornerstone for creating smarter and more efficient cities. As we embark on this journey towards a futuristic urban paradigm, several top technology trends are playing a pivotal role in shaping the cities of tomorrow. From artificial intelligence to the Internet of Things (IoT), these innovations are redefining the way cities operate, paving the way for sustainable, connected, and resilient urban environments.

Smart cities and cybersecurity are inseparable. When you start integrating the Internet of Things (IoT) with infrastructure, a city cyber attack is, unfortunately, inevitable. But that doesn't mean it has to be successful.

Systems that were once on separate operational technology (OT) infrastructures have merged with modern information technology (IT) systems and use IoT to gather and manage data. This data is processed and analyzed to optimize city services such as lighting, traffic data management, public parking, video surveillance and real-time response systems.

Making security a priority for citizens within the smart city, explains Henk Olivier, MD of Ozone Information Technology Distribution.

The concept of the smart city is evolving at pace. Already there are smart cities standing tall on the digital horizon, reshaping citizen service delivery and infrastructure through intelligent and connected digital services and solutions. In 2022, Shanghai was listed as the premier smart city in the world, closely followed by Seoul, Barcelona, Beijing and New York. This is due to these cities’ commitment to transport, infrastructure, energy, lighting, city management, urban connectivity and smart development. Each one offers up immense potential, transforming the standard of living, healthcare and the local economy.