These capabilities enable cities to save money, reduce inefficiencies, and acquire valuable data to assist in urban planning, resource allocation, and the creation of citizen-centric services. However, if improperly deployed and without adequate security measures, they are at risk of being attacked by malicious actors who could not only access confidential data but also control or disrupt the functions of critical infrastructure.
Cyberattacks can cause significant disruption to cities and their residents, including shutting down or disrupting essential services such as electricity or water. In many cases, ransomware attacks even render municipal staff unable to use municipal computers and networks, disrupting operations until a large ransom is paid.
Cyberattacks can also lead to the collection and misuse of citizens' sensitive personal information. In January 2021, a cyberattack even allowed outsiders to temporarily alter the concentration of chemicals in a local water supply system.
This week, researchers released a report aimed at helping local government policymakers better understand the differences in cyber risks among various smart city technologies.
This report was released following a survey conducted in 2020. In that survey, 76 cybersecurity experts ranked various technologies based on their potential vulnerabilities, attractiveness to potential attackers, and potential impact after an attack.
The survey results show that smart city technologies are vulnerable to cyberattacks.
Cybersecurity experts point out that some smart city technologies are more risky than others. These differences can be attributed to the fact that technologies considered technically most vulnerable are likely to have the greatest impact if successfully attacked. Emergency and security alarm systems, street video surveillance, and smart traffic lights are considered more susceptible to cyberattacks; furthermore, respondents believe that successful cyberattacks on these technologies could have a greater impact.
In comparison, smart trash cans and leak detection are listed as the least vulnerable to attack and least affected technologies compared to other technologies.
Experts surveyed stated that nationalist states are most effective at launching cyberattacks compared to thrill-seekers, cybercriminals, terrorist organizations, and hackers. Their responses to our open-ended questions indicate that experts believe nationalist states have a strong motivation to attack infrastructure and are able to mobilize significant resources to launch such attacks.
Crucially, the experts surveyed indicated that the three technologies listed as the most vulnerable and impactful would be of greatest interest to nationalist nations: emergency or security alarms, street video surveillance, and smart traffic lights or signals.
Public infrastructure is the best target for cyber hackers.
Most people will remember the WannaCry ransomware attack, which affected over 50,000 organizations and 150 countries. In the UK, attacks on the National Health Service (NHS) prevented staff from accessing patient records, disrupted some phone calls, and forced surgeons to cancel surgeries. In Germany, digital displays at Deutsche Bahn train stations became unusable. An attack in Spain crippled the internal computers of telecommunications provider Telefonica.
Public transportation is an attractive target for cybercriminals. In 2016, San Francisco's public transportation system was hit by a ransomware attack. Station displays showed the message: "You've been hacked." The criminals allegedly demanded 100 bitcoins.
In 2008, in the Polish city of Łódź, four trams derailed, and an attack forced others to stop abruptly. The attack injured 12 people. Police later discovered that a teenager had used open-source information to hack into the tram station, gaining control of a tram and the points system, thus gaining access to the tram system.
Protecting cities requires a multi-agency collaborative approach.
Last week, the U.S. Secret Service hosted a virtual cyber incident response simulation. State and municipal officials focused on ransomware attacks and mitigation strategies. Executives assuming cyber incident response roles used the simulation to enhance planning, collaboration, and information sharing between state and local government agencies and the Secret Service. The role-playing simulation allowed participants to better understand how to effectively respond to ransomware attacks. Guests at the event included leaders from the FBI, the National Guard, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and other law enforcement agencies.
