Critical urban infrastructure is the backbone of any economy and a country. The increased number of cybersecurity attacks directed towards the critical urban infrastructures can result in economic progress halts, disruptions in the critical functions of cities and communities, and can impact the lives of thousands of people directly and indirectly.

Nowadays cyber crooks with malicious political and personal agendas are targeting critical infrastructures including energy, transportation, waste management, emergency services, and communication systems to cause significant losses and cyber riots. By leveraging the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic when the majority of the global population is working remotely, hackers are using malicious attack vectors like ransomware to encrypt the critical data that cities and different federal departments need to function properly.  

It is anticipated that different types of cyberattacks are going to cost the world at least 6 Trillion USD by 2021. This ultimately means that governments and related organizations have to pay substantial amounts to mitigate the security risks and to recover any losses caused by any data breaches. Not only do such security incidents disturb economic peace but also dilute the reputation of a government across the world. However, according to experts, below are the top 3 ways to enhance cybersecurity in today’s modern urban infrastructure.

1- Educating city officials and employees

One of the most common reasons why cyberattacks happen successfully in the first place is due to some type of human error. In fact, according to experts, 95% of cyberattacks are successful due to human mistakes. City officials working in critical sectors of government mostly lack cybersecurity awareness education and training as a result they make mistakes and facilitate the execution and completion of digital attacks unknowingly. The same goes for employees working in the private sector. By providing free-of-cost cybersecurity education to citizens and critical officials the chances of security incidents can be reduced.

2- Investing in revolutionary technologies

Investing in revolutionary technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), Machine learning (ML) and blockchains can provide a government an edge over hackers. As traditional cybersecurity defense mechanisms continue to fall short against advanced threats, investing in advanced technologies can aid in the development of next-generation cybersecurity solutions that will have the capability to defend and prevent cybersecurity attacks at large scales.

 3- Encouraging youth to study cybersecurity

There is a global shortage of professionals in the cybersecurity sector that is going to increase in the incoming years.  According to experts, there will be more than 3.2 million unfilled cybersecurity positions by 2021. In other words, the need for cybersecurity talent is growing and there are not enough professionals in the market. Cybersecurity is a highly technical field that’s why only a small number of students choose to study it. If the youth or younger generations are encouraged more to study cybersecurity, the available professional talent in the sector will grow and there will be greater chances of diminishing the cybersecurity risks.

Let us help!

At NGN International, we specialize in providing state-of-art cybersecurity and IT Infrastructure security solutions that are developed and enhanced by industry professionals to tackle today’s cybersecurity threats. Regardless of the type and size of the infrastructure, we can offer customized security solutions tailored to your specific security requirements. Get in touch with one of our experts for further information and consultation.