It’s becoming clearer and clearer that Smart Cities will be doomed to fail without proper cybersecurity measures in place. If that seems like an overly pessimistic sentiment, one only needs to check the news to see examples of simple but effective cyberattacks of IoT and Smart technology to understand that when this technology is applied at a larger scale, the consequences of a cyberattack will be more far-reaching, and even potentially dangerous.

The well-publicised hacks of various Tesla models and other cars already made obvious the potential stakes – as cars and other forms of transport become increasingly connected and autonomous, a cyberattack becomes a serious safety issue.

Luckily, the industry and governments are taking notice. The UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) announced last month that they will be moving forward with legislation that would make Smart device manufacturers responsible for providing heightened cybersecurity. While this legislation will only cover consumer IoT devices such as smartphones, Smart Doorbells and other similar devices, it’s certainly a step in the right direction. Hopefully, it won’t be long before similar regulations are announced across the board for all connected technologies, including land and air mobility and Critical National Infrastructure.

Of course, securing IoT devices is really only half the battle. It is also important to consider the impact and potential vulnerabilities of the network backbone that IoT and Smart devices communicate over, such as 5G. That’s why ANGOKA is working on to secure all the pieces in this puzzle – our solution is applicable across Smart City and Smart Mobility devices and technology. We’re also working with BT to quantum-secure 5G networks to prevent more sophisticated cyberattacks.

Ultimately, without essential cybersecurity measures, Smart Cities won’t be able to flourish – it will simply just be too dangerous. But with consideration and solutions like ANGOKA’s, the potential of Smart Cities can and will be fulfilled.