Smart infrastructure a low priority for cybersecurity efforts

Smart infrastructure may not get the attention it needs from security experts. In a 2020 survey by researchers at University of California, Berkeley, "76 cybersecurity experts ranked different technologies according to underlying technical vulnerabilities, their attractiveness to potential attackers, and the potential impact of a successful serious cyberattack." Overall public safety systems saw a signficantly higher level of technical vulnerability, impact of successful attacks, and appeal as a target in comparison to infrastructure networks like smart traffic signals, tolling, transit open data, smart waste, and water utilities.

While this survey may only reflect attitudes towards recent and ongoing events, it suggests that smart infrastructure cybersecurity risks are not being prioritized sufficiently during a period when threats are growing rapidly and large investments in infrastructure are being planned, potentially creating a missed opportunity for urban tech.