The short scope of a smart city includes heavy integration and reliance on technology, data, and enterprise network security architecture. Of course, it’s much more technical than that, but you don’t have to dig very far to drum up a few questions. For the most part, the focal point of smart cities is to enhance quality of life, but there are always pros and cons with innovation.
An understandable question when it comes to tech integrations is what kind of security measures are taking place here? Sometimes it’s an easy answer; most times it’s not. Part of what helps make smart cities a secure reality is the help of enterprise network security architecture. However, this is a combined approach that includes many layers, such as firewall manufacturers, managed firewall services, and much more.
Not only does this help protect smart city infrastructure, but it also protects the people who interact with smart city tech every day of their lives. This article focuses on the need for municipal security in network architecture for smart cities, and the tech that’s driving it all.
The Growing Interest in Smart Cities
With technologies like IoT, artificial intelligence, and many others reaching new heights, they’re becoming an increasing part of modern infrastructure. There are plenty of impressive enhancements to be made here, with too many to actually list.
A few basic examples where smart cities have offered improvements include:
- Positive changes to efficiency and accessibility to public infrastructure
- Better energy distribution
- Much more effective environmental monitoring and waste control
- Flexible to new tech integrations and advancements in existing systems
On the other side of the many benefits found in smart cities is a massive attack surface for potential cyber threats. Legacy security systems won’t be able to help here, and the need for enterprise network security architecture is becoming commonplace outside the corporate world.
Enterprise Network Security Architecture Layers
There are many angles to any security architecture, but when you’re talking about an entire city, managing the scale of this operation requires some serious tech. Features and capabilities aside, the strategy and approach to security architecture matter as well.
Utilizing micro-segmentation, zero-trust architecture, and next-generation firewall tech are just a few examples of the diversity that’s needed. Although there are numerous layers to the security architecture of smart cities, the layers and strategies mentioned below are several key players.
Network Micro-Segmentation
The reason micro-segmentation is important for the scale of a smart city is that it helps to minimize lateral movement of cybersecurity breaches. This same concept is applied to the corporate world, but doing it for an entire city’s security architecture is a different game.
By limiting the potential for spreading cyber attacks, systems can remain functional and uncompromised. It also makes it easier to isolate a threat in the early stages before things get out of hand on a wider scale.
Zero Trust Architecture
If you aren’t familiar already, zero trust architecture operates on the premise of requiring continuous authentication for every device and user. Over the years, this has become an essential component, with a lot of influence coming from the rise in remote workforces.
Access within zero-trust architecture works off a recipe of identity and individual context. To put it simply, this could include user name, any specific roles, as well as device information. This works to guarantee security with every endpoint. Add real-time monitoring to the mix, and you have a pretty solid solution for threat detection for smart cities.
Next-Generation Firewall Tech
For many of these modern security architecture integrations to be possible, firewall tech is going to be a part of the equation. More specifically, next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) come with features like deep packet inspection (DPI), threat intelligence, and overall granular control of the network.
With the security of policy-based access and plenty of proactive capabilities to handle cyber threats, NGFWs are a must for smart cities. Technology and cyber security have always gone hand in hand, so it only makes sense that these cities come with numerous security integrations.
Future Proofing Against Growing Security Threats
Tech is a big talking point with smart cities, but many don’t consider who’s making these applications a reality in today’s world. With the likes of firewall manufacturers like SonicWall being a pioneer in NGFW tech, it’s safe to say their role is crucial.
Aside from that, good network security practices are only one small part of making smart cities work for the long term. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automation as a whole are going to play a significant role in all of this as well.
Key factors to pay attention to if we want to future-proof smart cities as a society include:
- Widespread adoption of zero-trust architecture
- Cloud-compatible security frameworks
- Scalability and security for infrastructure
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning
- Cyber awareness and training on an individual, societal, corporate, and government level
One angle many don’t consider in this topic is merely the general education on the topic. For smart cities to win, the general public needs to understand a lot of these integrations as well. With many public educational resources and industry experts backing innovation, smart cities will only seem more commonplace with time.
Even if you’re new to the conversation around smart cities, data shows it has been a trending idea for years now. In the U.S. alone, roughly 20 million smart city connections are being added between 2018 and 2028.¹
The Bottom Line
As we move forward in time, smart cities are going to be commonplace in our modern world. This will be more common in urban areas first, but it won’t be long before this kind of infrastructure is needed on a national and global scale.
To make it all possible, enterprise network security architecture will always be a part of the process. For smart cities to stay ahead of cybersecurity threats, they’ll require a proactive approach to security. If you’re interested in learning more about enterprise security solutions for smart cities or your business, give our team a shout for an expert’s approach.
References:
- https://www.statista.com/forecasts/1490681/smart-city-connections-in-the-us
