A secure by design approach is vital to protecting the internet of things (IoT) and smart cities, according to Lindy Cameron, CEO of the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). Cameron spoke during Singapore International Cyber Week, calling for swift ongoing action to ensure connected devices are designed, built, deployed, and managed securely to prevent malicious actors, improve national resilience, and reap the benefits of emerging technologies.
Growth of IoT giving rise to increased security threats
The scale of consumer-, enterprise-, and city-level IoT has exploded in the last decade, Cameron said, and the magnitude of changes coupled with growing dependency on connected technology has introduced significant security risks. “That is why now is the time to make sure we’re designing and building them properly,” she added. “We all know that connected places are an evolving ecosystem, comprising a range of systems that exchange, process and store sensitive data, as well as controlling critical operational technology. Unfortunately, this makes these systems an attractive target for a range of threat actors. The threat posed by nation states is particularly acute.”
