Smart City and Cyber Security: A Case Study on San Diego Essay Example

administrative information, education, and other systems.

Through implementers and planners such as Dr. Sandra Brown who is the Vice Chancellor in Research at San Diego’s University of California as well as David Graham who acts as the city’s Deputy COO in charge of Neighboring Services have step up their efforts in combining elements of local academia, individuals talents, and entrepreneurship in an attempt to make the city smarter. The program of MetroLab has also been put in place to ensure that smart city’s measures and goals will be fully set and achieved in the nearest future possible. Metrolab acts as a network connection which supports the city, university, and overall development in San Diego. This has been achieved through contribution of Sandra Brown’s and David Graham’s departments which are geared for smart development of San Diego city. Also, the GPS Connected Qualcomm 3G network enhances data transfer across all the sectors in the city.

Why has San Diego Invested Heavily in Cyber Security?

The main reason why the city opted for cyber security is the interconnection of all its systems of information. These include traffic information, pollution, financial transaction, hospital, transport system, legal enforcements, and schools information. This interconnectedness of information systems has rendered many individuals to be reliable on the provision of information during their daily activities. For instance, militants, students, patients, people involved in lawsuits, and business community rely solely on the smart city information systems.

Different individuals usually navigate and use the systems at various times in order to get the information required, for example, criminal and law enforcement proceedings. In this light, therefore, cyber security in San Diego has to be on the par. Although

the city of San Diego enjoys a smart technology with a summarization of all its information, it is still on the risk of having its information held via ransom ware or unnecessarily accessed by criminals and unintended individuals. footnoteRef:5 Thus, the city has invested a lot in ensuring cyber security. With the efforts of the education system via the University of California and different organizations geared to ensuring security of the city, San Diego has been able to control the access and security of its systems of information.

Argument

San Diego is a city which is famously for hosting many departments and organization. It is the headquarters of US Navy and Marine Corps. The city is also a home to many schools and colleges, a business center, health center, entertainment center, and financial center. The city has loads of information systems that are essential to individuals in their different instances of lives. At the same time, the city has been working hard to integrate this information in the ICT and IoT systems. Also, as a smart city, San Diego previously analyzed the benefits and outcomes of interconnecting its data environment. This would help in controlling, regulating, and monitoring different systems and services across the city.

Security and privacy is, thus, an important component in most of these sectors in order to prevent information and data access by unintended individuals. It also enhances safe and uninterrupted control and regulation of systems such as road traffic, garbage collection, environmental pollution, hospitals, and education services. The city has to ensure that the interconnected information systems are safe from ransom ware and cyber criminals’ interference.

Statement

In 2014, hackers were reported to have compromised

over 100,000 Smart TVs, refrigerator units, and many other house appliances. Another case was witnessed with the Linux worm known as “Linux.Darlloz” which was able to hijack numerous home appliances such as routers, set-top boxes, and security cameras.footnoteRef:6 Therefore, many IoT devices, desktop computers, and mobile devices are in a threat of being attacked by cyber criminals.

Many cities are now depending on smart technologies for all their proceedings. Everything has been integrated into IoT and ICT technologies for easy control and regulation. This include: street lights and traffic control systems, public transport, parking application systems, and water and energy management systems.footnoteRef:7 Over $1.5 trillion is spent annually on cyber security in different cities across the world. By the year 2020, many cities in the world are aspiring to be fully advanced as modern smart cities.

On the other hand, hackers have hit the world of renovation with a stance. More sophisticated and stubborn viruses have been introduced into the world. These viruses are strong and able to affect the functioning of systems. For instance, there have been many cases of hackers influencing the direction of a vehicle, redirecting money to different accounts, and interfering with program proceeding over the mass media.
This has also affected the functionality of cities with San Diego being among them. Vulnerability of technology to manipulation by an individual with a malicious intent has already shaken the stability of many cities, firms, and companies. In a bid to prevent this, cities have embraced cyber security by installing firm and departments as well as involving education institutions such as universities in this process.

Main Section

The United States Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR)

department has been put in place to ensure cyber security in San Diego. It has over 3,000 individuals working to ensure security of the information and data systems. Mostly, this department deals with the cyber security concerning federal and military affairs. However, there are many other departments dealing with cyber security in San Diego. Reportedly, over 80,000 individuals work in cyber security field in San Diego, for example, in San Diego State University’s Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technology, University of California, and Information System Security Association (ISSA).

San Diego has numerous resources that can be used adequately for enhancing cyber security. These include education institutions and other departments that have been put in place purposely for enhancing the same. With the technology advancement in the 21st century, the city has step up its efforts in simplifying access to services, products, and other needs to people. By integrating all its sectors and institutions into IoT and ICT systems, the city has made it possible for the residents to access everything easily. Also, the city has installed GPS systems as well as Wi-Fi systems in order to enable tracing of any interference with data.

Descriptive

a) Subject
Cyber insecurity can lead to cases of encrypted issues, poor security, patch deployment, public sector issues, denial of services, traffic jams, accidents, difficulties in cyber security testing and insecure legacy systems. As a smart city, San Diego can be affected by cyber insecurity where criminals and other unintended data viewers may be involved in operating and managing data.

b) Legality
Different information system attacks done by hackers are reported severally in the world. Attackers are those individuals who take control of an information system without

necessary permission. According to S. Shrivastava, many attackers take advantage of traffic on a network system so as to hold it ransom and interfere with its functioning. They can encrypt the data and prevent it from being viewed by those in charge. Therefore, cyber-attack existed for so many years at the expense of hackers and cyber attackers. However, cyber-attack can be prevented using effective security installed to prevent access of data on the systems.

c) Post Training
It has taken a considerable deal of efforts in enhancing cyber security in San Diego. In the recent past, the city embraced different technology advancements with aggressiveness. Most of its services are solely available across interconnected information systems. This was upheld and prettily appraised by the residents. At the same time, this digital and smart movement rendered the city susceptible of information system manipulation and potential loss of its assets. However, with the current highly regarded cyber security, San Diego has been able to exist in a more responsive manner against cyber-crimes. This has made provision of services and quality of life to be at the par in the city.
d) Literature Review
Maintaining cyber security in smart cities has been a challenge for many years now. Many hackers have severally claimed the control and manipulation of systems using malicious means. In fear of this in the future, cities such as San Diego have been on the front line to prevent any cases of future information system hacking. According to E. Kalaikavitha et al., encryption of the information system is an effective way to ensure privacy and limited access of data to the allowed individuals alone.

In cases where attack is done unawares,

those in charge of data can detect the attack and install anti-ransom ware applications. Abdesselam proposed the use of OLSR protocol so as to detect malicious attacks on the information system such as wormhole attack. Anti-ransom wares such as strong antiviruses can be used to restore the data. Eventually, the data can be encrypted and secured from future access by the attackers again.

Analytics
Analysis of Cyber Security in San Diego

San Diego has a couple of institutions and departments in charge of cyber security. These include: San Diego State University’s Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technology, University of California, and Information System Security Association (ISSA). Although most of the information systems are encrypted, these institutions and departments have developed different software applications which can be effective in the protection and recovery of data in cases of cyber-attacks in future. Different information systems in San Diego are protected with applications such as antiviruses and anti-ransom ware applications which are prevent any cases of unintended data access.
However, this process has been costly and highly demanding on the city’s resources. The city has devoted a large part of its resources in enhancing the stability of cyber security. A lot of individuals are employed in the institutions which are involved in the task. This has cost the city a lot of financial and human resources. Nonetheless, the long-run benefits of cyber security have outweighed its cost. General security, protection of city assets, safe transactions, and effective management and regulation of services has become easier tasks than before.

Primary Outcomes

a) Specialized Outcomes
Cyber security is an important requirement for San Diego as a smart city and for its residence. The city hosts many headquarters

including the Navy and Marine Corps Headquarters. Additionally, it is a financial, business, educational, and health center and a home for many residents as well as visitors. Individuals living or working in San Diego need an ultimate access to the aforementioned services in order to meet daily life requirements in a more technologically advanced manner.

b) The Reason why San Diego has emphasized on Cyber Security
On its part, the city of San Diego has worked hard in order to summarize all systems into a platform of interconnected information systems which can be operated, controlled, managed, and regulated easily. Running into a digital and smart city, San Diego has invested heavily in enhancing the security of its information system.

Over 80,000 people have been employed in various departments and institutions meant to uphold cyber security. Through these bodies, protection of the information systems in the city has been made easier. Consequently, it has become easily possible to manage and control different essential services such as water and energy, traffic, finance, hospitals, and education. This has made life to be simple in the city by improving the access to services. Additionally, it has enhanced the protection of city’s valuable and numerous assets.

c) What I Should Approve
The installation of cyber security measures in San Diego has made regulation and control of different services easier and safer. The previous cases of hacking and manipulation of information system by unintended persons has been fully curbed. At the same time, cyber security is effective in ensuring the safety and security of city assets in San Diego. These include: library information, finances, software programs, transport services, and other services. This has also made the

access of services among the residents and the general security in the city. Although the cost of installing and maintaining cyber security has claimed a lot of city’s resources, its benefits to the residents and to the national security cannot be underrated.

Conclusion

a) Summary
Macros the world, many cities have embraced technology in all the dimensions. Cities such as Barcelona, New York, San Diego, Tokyo, and Dubai have reportedly computerized all their systems into a platform of interconnected systems of information. San Diego has been one of the most active cities on this part. As a headquarter for Qualcomm, US Navy, and also Marine Corps as well as a center for tourism, health, education, and residence, San Diego has opted to turn into a smart city in order to meet the demands of public and other sectors. The city has embraced ICT and IoT technologies in order to integrate all its systems. This has secured city’s assets while also enabling easy management, regulation, and planning. However, emergence of cyber criminals has threatened the stability of the cities and posed a risk to loss of data or assets. San Diego has, therefore, invested in cyber security in order to prevent this. Many individuals have been employed in various institutions dealing with cyber security. As a result, management and regulation of services such as hospital services, education, financial services, water and energy management, and waste and pollution management has been made easy. This has improved the quality of life in the city.

b) Total Outcomes
Technology has changed the appearance of the world. Many capitals, urban, and business centers have been turned into smart cities. They have been installed with interconnected

information systems bearing all the data for different institutions and services. These institutions include: hospitals, roads and transport, environment and pollution, water and energy management, traffic control, banks and financial institutions, and schools. The information systems that have been developed in these cities have been effective in controlling, managing, planning, and regulating services and other systems.

San Diego, as one of the highly developing cities currently, has also embraced the smart movement by developing interconnections of data and information systems to control and manage services, business, and products movement. This has made the city to engage in a continuous development situation due simplicity of services provision platforms and security of services.

c) Lesson Learnt
Digital movement has been faced by a challenge of enhancing cyber security. Today, the number of information hackers as well as ransom wares has increased. Use of wormhole attacks and ransom wares by hackers has hit many systems hard. Previously, a lot of data has been compromised and money lost at the expense of poor cyber security. Different hackers have previously claimed control of different platforms and information systems even in San Diego. Consequently, the city has put in place different departments and institutions meant for ensuring cyber security. This has made services to be easily accessible in the city, thus, improving the quality life for the residents and the visitors.

d) Concluding Remarks
Any city which is geared to becoming a smart city in the world can be able to ensure effective cyber security. Through different institutions such as University of California, San Diego State University’s Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technology, and Information System Security Association (ISSA), San Diego has been able to improve

and boost its cyber security for smart city. Other cities in the world can as well embrace the same in order to prevent malicious control of information system as well as loss of assets.

Bibliography

1. Allen, Natalie. "Cybersecurity weaknesses threaten to make smart cities more costly and dangerous than their analog predecessors." USApp–American Politics and Policy Blog (2016).
2. Baiyere, Abayomi, Viswanath Venkatesh, Brian Donnellan, Heikki Topi, and Said Tabet. "IoT–Towards a Research Agenda for Information Systems." (2016).
3. Bartoli, A., J. Hernández-Serrano, M. Soriano, M. Dohler, A. Kountouris, and D. Barthel. "Security and privacy in your smart city." In Proceedings of the Barcelona Smart Cities Congress, pp. 1-6. (2011).
4. Boyer, Wayne F., and Scott A. McBride. "Study of security attributes of smart grid systems–current cyber security issues." Idaho National Laboratory, USDOE, Under Contract DE-AC07-05ID14517 (2009).
5. Cerrudo, C., A. Hasbini, and B. Russell. "Cyber Security Guidelines for Smart City Technology Adoption." Cloud Security Alliance (2015).
6. E. Kalaikavitha, J Gnanselvi, ‘Secure Login Using Encrypted One Time Password (Otp) and Mobile Based Login Methodology’, Research Journal of Computer Science & Communication Networks, Vol. 2, Issue 4, pp. 531-535, (2014).
7. Elmaghraby, Adel S., and Michael M. Losavio. "Cyber security challenges in Smart Cities: Safety, security and privacy." Journal of advanced research 5, no. 4 (2014)
8. F. N. Abdesselam, ‘LITEWORP: Detection and Isolation of the Wormhole Attack in Static Multi hope Wireless Networks’, The International Journal of Computer and Telecommunications Networking, Vol. 51, Issue 12, pp 3750-3772, (2007)
9. Nidhi Nigam and Vishal Sharma, ‘A comprehension on Wormhole Attack prevention technique using THREADS in MANET’, International Inventy: International Journal of Engineering and Science, Vol. 2, Issue 10, pp. 14-17, (2013).
10. S. Shrivastava, ‘Rushing
    

Attack and its Prevention Techniques’ International journal of Application and innovation in engineering and management, Vo. 2, Issue 4, pp. 453-456, (2013).