Security and Privacy in Smart City Applications and Services: Opportunities and Challenges

A Smart City can be described as an urbanized town, wherein Information and Communication Technology are at the core of its infrastructure. Smart cities serve several innovative and advanced services for its citizens in order to improve the quality of their life. A Smart City must encompass all the forthcoming and highly advanced and integrated technology, the essence of which is the Internet of Things (IoT). Smart technologies like smart governance, smart communication, smart environment, smart transportation, smart energy, waste and water management applications promise the smart growth of the city, but at the same time, it needs to enforce pervasive security and privacy of the large volume of data associated with these smart applications. Special smart measures are required to cover urbanization trends in the innovative administration of urban transference and various smart services to the residents, visitors and local government to meet the ever expanding and manifold demands. When the city goes urban, its residents may suffer from various privacy and security issues due to smart city applications vulnerabilities. This chapter delivers a comprehensive overview of the security and privacy threats, vulnerabilities, and challenges of a smart city project; and suggests solutions in order to facilitate smart city development and governance.