Architecting Cybersecurity to Future-proof Smart Cities against Emerging Cyber-physical Threats

With the advent of industrialisation 4.0 in smart cities, the lines between cyber and physical space continue to blur. Against the gloomy backdrop of an increasingly sophisticated threat landscape, re-alignment of security posture maturity is imperative.

Organisations around the world have been hit by an unprecedented and unrelenting barrage of ransomware attacks that impacted many government agencies, educational establishments and healthcare providers at a potential cost in excess of billions. The incidents were not simply expensive inconveniences; the disruption they caused put people’s health, safety and lives at risk. Emergency patients had to be redirected to other hospitals. Medical records were inaccessible and, in some cases, permanently lost. Surgical procedures were canceled, tests were postponed and admissions halted. Emergency ambulance services were interrupted, etc.

Cyber threats, especially more recent ransomware attacks, are a rude shout-out that cyber resilience is even more key to ensuring business continuity. This session aims to share architecture and governance strategies that can be applied holistically against such threats.