IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

The world is becoming ever more connected with each passing day.

While smart devices within smart homes are now an accepted and ingrained part of society, the idea of smart cities remains a somewhat maverick concept, full of potential pitfalls which require extensive contingency plans – which are inevitable, and vital. Spend on smart cities currently stands around £81 billion, and in the not-so-distant-future we will live in cities and societies that are totally connected to the internet, with entire infrastructures dependent on remaining connected.

Being the catalysts of growth, smart cities are founded on a technology-powered infrastructure. Digitization in global economies has led the way to a transformative shift to smart security, universal convenience and accelerated advancements. By 2026, smart cities have been expected to generate an economic benefit of USD 20 trillion globally. Unfortunately, crimes and offenses are also becoming high-tech, challenging the balance in the socio-economic ecosystem. To secure the frontiers of growth, security operations need to be spearheaded by reliable and pervasive technological solutions that also elevate the prospects of unified development.

Back when we first wrote this collection of smart city trends, it was amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The general sentiment at the time was that shut-down had put many smart city plans on hold. We all recall hearing about the inevitable rise in self-driving cars. Some experts were even predicting, as outlandishly futuristic as it might sound, flying cars. But our dreams of living in Back to the Future II were put on hold when the health crisis caused cities to re-evaluate their infrastructure plans.

However, despite our general lack of hover-crafts, the pandemic did not kill the smart city dream. On the contrary, many cities pursued other less overtly dramatic smart city initiatives in part because of the pandemic. After all, the smartest cities know that a digitally connected community is just as much about promoting public health and safety, improving emergency response, and effective analytics as it is about transportation and sustainability. They also know that in the long run a smart city saves more than it costs.

In this era of unprecedented technological innovation, the concept of a "smart nation" has emerged as a compelling vision for the future. It represents a paradigm shift where cutting-edge technologies, including the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and big data analytics, are seamlessly integrated to transform the very fabric of society. These smart nations epitomise the convergence of technology and governance, aiming to elevate the quality of life for their citizens through enhanced urban living, optimised resource utilisation, and transformative public services.

However, the journey towards realising this vision is not without its challenges. The intricate and interconnected nature of these smart societies, while offering a multitude of benefits, also exposes them to a range of cyber threats. These threats pose a substantial risk to critical infrastructure, data privacy, and the integrity of the digital ecosystems that underpin these smart nations.

Gangnam is the first district in Seoul to install CCTV cameras. In emergency situations, the CCTV for parking control can be converted into crime surveillance cameras, enhancing the district’s security even further.

Gangnam District Office have also introduced a feature called “intelligent image analysis” to the 30 elementary schools in the district as a proactive step to prevent and respond to crimes involving children. The Office also added other features including “smart search” with increases search efficiency for large volume image data; “cast net surveillance”, enabling simultaneous observation of different peripheral areas when a case is notified; and a high-precision 3D GIS map.

Addressing the 3rd IACP Sub-Saharan Africa Executive Policing Conference in Kigali, President Kagame said: “It is evident that the security challenges of the twenty-first century are increasingly sophisticated as well as global, and require international collaboration to effectively combat them.”

ICT Permanent Secretary Mrs. Jeerawan Boonperm said all the four organizations have signed an agreement to create a system that not only protects online users but also analyzes threats and identify their whereabouts. She said the new technology would significantly assure safety for online banking for people and businesses.

A memorandum of cooperation (MoC) was signed last week in an attempt to tackle Internet-borne malicious threats and provide a safer online environment for Thai citizens

Permanent Secretary of ICT Ministry Jeerawan Boonperm said the MoC was signed to create a system that does not only protect online users but also analyze threats and identify their whereabouts.

The Bahamas has launched a project with ITU to set up a national Computer Incident Response Team (CIRT) to help protect the small island country’s critical digital infrastructure and data.

The National Cybersecurity Project, started in January and officially launched in February at national level, aims to help assess current Bahamian capabilities in this rapidly evolving field, as well as develop its National Cybersecurity Strategy.

Whilst technological breakthroughs and the adoption of digital technologies have brought a new era of progress, it can sometimes be hard for the untrained eye to recognise cutting-edge innovations in everyday life. However, smart cities are a key field where new technologies, such as smart video, directly and visibly, raise living standards.

Smart cities use information and communication technologies to improve operational efficiency, share information with the public and provide a better quality of local authority services. For example, advancements in Internet of Things (IoT) technologies have enabled connected public transportation systems, which leverage real-time monitoring capabilities, as well as tracking the locations and routes of public vehicles. Not only does this speed up service times and reduce traffic congestion, it also cuts waiting times for passengers and keeps them informed.

A clear trend can be seen for our digital future: What can be connected will be connected. But companies and societies do not network within traditional, analogous borders.

Machines are also increasingly being connected to one another. The Internet of Things is growing faster and faster. These developments give us a unique opportunity to bring the citizens of Europe closer together. And we must not let this opportunity pass us by. At the same time, the digital networks are and will become an increasingly attractive target for criminal or state-controlled cyber-attacks. Deutsche Telekom’s systems have reported up to 70 million different attacks on a single day this year. A new, sad record! And a leap compared to the figures of 2018! Thanks to our efforts, these attacks are not getting through, but the number is vertiginous.

In the "Cyber Europe 2010" exercise, crisis managers from all Member States taking part in the simulation had to cooperate between each other to avoid a simulated total network crash. The event, which was organised by EU Member States with support from the European Network Security Agency (ENISA) and the Joint Research Centre (JRC), aimed at testing participants' responses to a simulated attack from hackers on critical online services

A roundtable of government agencies, chaired by the Chief Information Officers Foundation Inc, was held on October 26th (2010) to discuss the creation of a Shared CyberSecurity Services Portal (SOC).

The National Bureau of Investigation, National Security Council and the Philippine National Police are the agencies in contention to lead the project, which will be funded by the Philippines’ E-Government Fund.

As we continue to move forward in the Industry 4.0 era of greater connectivity between the physical and digital, the promise and development of smart cities become a more likely vision. While the term may have differing definitions, the term “smart city” usually connotes creating a public/private infrastructure to orchestrate the integration of transportation, energy, water resources, waste collections, smart-building technologies, and security technologies and services in a central location.

In the past several years, cities have migrated from analog to digital and have become increasingly “smarter.” A smart city uses digital technologies for information and communication technologies to enhance quality and performance of urban services, to reduce costs and resource consumption, and to engage more effectively and actively with its citizens. A smart city is indeed a laboratory for applied innovation. A smart city and its accompanying ecosystem can influence and impact the industrial verticals including transportation, energy, power generation, and agriculture.

How Is AI Transforming Urban Spaces into Safer Communities?

Smart cities' worldwide market is expected to hit $104.80 billion by 2024, with an annual growth rate of 12.15% by 2028. However, the shift towards technology-focused urban development driving this growth poses privacy and security issues due to the widespread use of surveillance and IoT devices. In response, tech firms and developers are turning to AI, blockchain, encryption, and big data analytics as solutions to navigate these concerns.

The amendment, sponsored by Rep. Jim Langevin, D-R.I., and Rep. Diane Watson, D-Calif., updates the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) and establishes a National Office for Cyberspace in the Executive Office of the President.

The amendment was attached to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011, which passed the House Friday by a 229-186 vote.

At Shangri-la hotel, Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Centre (ADSIC) held this morning, September 15th, a training workshop for "Information Security Planning" in which 21 governmental bodies participated. The workshop aimed at increasing awareness and knowledge of the importance of information security planning, using a group of tools and guidelines that would help each individual entity adopt the program and customize it to fit its needs, and coordinate jointly in securing governmental information, for more efficient risk response, that cope with harm, of whatever size, caused by information loss, abuse, or unauthorized access.

Commenting on the award, Ahmad Al Humaidan, Director-General, Dubai eGovernment said: “I congratulate the Infrastructure Management team for this award which is a result of continuous efforts that have been exerted in the field of network security projects. Dubai eGovernment has built a robust and secure Government Information Network, which has become the cornerstone of the electronic infrastructure of Dubai Government and the spinal column for connecting government and semi-government bodies at a high speed that ensures safe and cost-effective exchange of information and smooth integration for these bodies. It has also provided synergistic and shared services to the government bodies, these being the basic systems for effectively managing their internal resources, thereby enabling them to focus on discharging their direct tasks for the public and concentrate more on providing eServices to them.”

The Certificate has been received by H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA, from Brian Baxter, Manager of Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance Ltd (LRQA); which has carried out the assessment of RTA Information Security Systems. The Award was made in the presence of Abdullah Al Madani, CEO of RTA Corporate Technical Support Services, and Abdullah Al Bastaki, Director of RTA Information Technology, in addition to Premchand Kurup, CEO of Paramount Computer Systems Co.

Despite the abundant opportunities the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector presents, it poses serious challenges, especially in the way people relate to each other, Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde has said.

Although she did not suggest the way forward, she said something must be done to stop the havoc ICT is inflicting on the way people relate to each other.