A Systematic Review of Data Security and Privacy-Preserving Models for Smart Cities and Edge Computing Environments

Internet-of-Things (IoT) technologies in the past decade have matured both in the hardware and software aspects for large-scale deployment. Alongst IoT, the Smart Cities Concept is also taking shape. Pilot projects and implementations in multiple cities are trying to find out the feasibility and applicability of Smart City Information and Communications Technology (ICT). IoT assets along with the legacy assets are essential for Smart City ICT implementations. With the evolution of Smart Cities and concentration of people in the cities, it becomes necessary to be ready for future Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Recovery (HADR) operations. But the huge void in heterogeneous IoT and legacy technologies create a big hurdle in establishing and handling the HADR operations. This aim of this PhD is to investigate the interoperability aspects amongst the various IoT technologies and Smart City concepts. The goal is to create a framework and an architecture for allowing the interoperable operation of ICT assets in a Smart City environment. This framework would enable rapid deployment of HADR relevant technology assets on the ground allowing multiple HADR agencies to seamlessly communicate while having shared Situational Awareness (SA) and complementing each others capabilities.

Many cities around the world have embarked on ambitious programmes towards creating Smart Cities where information, diverse digital opportunities, and collective intelligence can be harnessed ubiquitously. Smart Cities are conceptualized using citywide smart and intelligent architectures informed by the context in which they are implemented. These architectures make it possible to access information and intelligence anywhere and at any time. Information processing and computing is embedded within the urban infrastructures to a point where immovable city entities such as traffic lights are more intelligent to make real-time decisions based on the happenings in the environment in which they are deployed. Advanced development of ambient computing within the realm of Smart Cities will further culminate into possibilities such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication (V2V) and mobile-to-mobile (M2M) communication. Using extensive and critical literature review, this chapter specifically focusses on the design of information architectures that will ultimately support the enshrining of spatial intelligence within Smart City environments hinged on the internet of things (IoT) and cloud/fog computing. The chapter presents latest trends in the research and practice of ambient intelligence (AmI) linked to the realization of the key principles of Smart Cities from the information topology and architecture point of view. A conceptual ambient intelligence architecture that highlights the building blocks of any ambient intelligence architecture as deployed in Smart City environments is also proposed. The proposed conceptual architecture can be used as a blueprint in the design of ambient intelligence topologies and architectures in different contextual settings.

Introduction Today, the rapid acceleration of urbanization has made it necessary to reconsider the balance among energy consumption, environmental sustainability, and quality of life. Buildings, which account for a significant share of cities’ carbon footprint, play a critical role in efforts to improve energy efficiency and ensure user well-being. In this context, advances in digitalization and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies have enabled buildings to evolve beyond mere physical structures into dynamic, data-driven, and user-interactive systems. Within this framework, the present study constitutes a systematic literature review addressing the effects of indoor environment design in smart cities on energy efficiency (E), user comfort (C), and environmental sustainability (S). In recent years, IoT-based sensor and control technologies have reconfigured approaches to energy management in buildings by enabling the continuous monitoring of environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide levels, lighting, and movement, while also strengthening user experience through a holistic perspective. Methods In this regard, the study examined 76 different works in the literature, including field applications, experimental research, and conceptual models. These studies were evaluated through an inductive thematic analysis approach based on content and classified according to recurring conceptual clusters in the literature. Results An examination of these sources reveals that the contributions of IoT technologies to smart buildings and cities are multidimensional in nature. This extensive body of knowledge in the literature demonstrates that IoT is not merely a technical infrastructure but also an ecosystem that transforms energy, health, the environment, transportation, and social life. It is evident that the data derived from all reviewed studies were synthesized under the headings of energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality and comfort, smart city infrastructure, user interaction, security/facility management, and industrial applications. Accordingly, the present study evaluates the contributions of IoT-based solutions to reducing energy consumption, improving environmental conditions, and supporting user-centered indoor design. The reviewed studies show that these technologies not only enhance energy efficiency (maximum savings: smart parking [92.6%] and smart lighting [73.2%]; average building savings: 20–30% through BEMS and IoT systems; HVAC optimization: 30–70% through artificial intelligence), but also support user health and comfort (the use of smart systems is generally expected to produce an improvement of more than 20% in comfort levels, while this rate can reach the 70–90% range with advanced personalized models). Furthermore, they demonstrate that IoT-based systems play a strategic role in achieving environmental sustainability goals, reducing carbon emissions, and implementing smart city policies. Discussion The original contribution of this study lies in its systematic synthesis of energy, comfort, and sustainability within an integrated thematic classification framework, thereby revealing trends in the field, research gaps, and potential future directions.

Internet of Things (IoT) devices, user interfaces (UI), software, as well as communication networks are all deployed within Smart Cities topology. The security approach designed for Internet of Things IoT should be able to prevent and detect both internal and external attacks. The problem in IoT network that not every linked node or device has an adequate amount of processing power. This means that data encryption and other related activities will be impossible and means that the security of any kind must be lightweight. A trustworthy security solution that stops illegal access to private data on the network is necessary for maintaining the privacy of information on the Internet of Things. Cryptographic processes need to be quicker and more compact without sacrificing security. The aim of this study is to reduce the execution time and power consumption of encryption processes without compromise the complexity of the encryption algorithm. This research presents a new lightweight cryptographic technique to protect various multimedia and real-time traffics across IoT network, by using two S-box in SubByte of encryption process, without affecting its performance. In this study, different audio samples will be used to test the new algorithm efficiency. Comparing the suggested method to the most advanced standard algorithm, it can reduce the cryptography process's execution time as well as energy consumption while maintaining the required security level. The outcomes demonstrate good performance in terms of power usage and delay. The new technique consumed a roughly 0.2 µJ for encryption process while the typical AES algorithm consumed 0.29 µJ, this mean the new algorithm achieved (33% power savings), while maintaining a good complexity level (security) within the process of encryption according to the results in tables I, II, and the comparison in table III. The novelty of this work can be showed by using dual XOR S-box technique which increased the complexity of SubByte process making it more secure without overload the processing performance, in addition to the reduction in encryption rounds which contribute to enhance the performance without compromise the security. Making it more suited for the Internet of Things (IoT) used in smart city environments.

Secure-reliable smart contract applications based blockchain technology in smart cities environment

The Internet of Things (IoT) based Smart city applications are the latest technology-driven solutions designed to collect and analyze data to enhance the quality of life for urban residents by creating more sustainable, efficient, and connected communities. Communication nodes are networked independently to monitor the circumstances, where they require being more energy-efficient and securing, to improve the performance of sustainable cities. Because, the enormous number of networked devices makes the smart cities application vulnerable to many security breaches, all of which have serious ramifications for a city and its residents’ safety, well-being, and economic development. Low-powered sensors have limitations in terms of battery life, short transmission range, and security considerations, despite the fact that the combination of edge computing and Green IoT considerably enhances network performance in terms of processing and data storage. Consequently, it is necessary to implement an advanced approach to provide energy resources with secure data transmission for sustainable cities. Therefore, this research proposes an Intelligent Buffalo-based Secure Edge-enabled Computing (IB-SEC) framework for smart cities by IoT platform, which aims to enhance communication efficiency, and reliability, with minimizing latency in terms of energy consumption and data security for data transmission. The developed IB-SEC platform utilizes a combination of the African Buffalo Optimization (ABO) algorithm and a Distributed Hash function-based security algorithm to enhance the efficiency, security, and reliability of data transmission in IoT-based smart city networks. This platform leverages the capabilities of secure edge computing and MAC protocols to achieve its goals, by implementing encryption, authentication, and access control mechanisms that ensure the wireless communication is secure, and the data is protected against unauthorized access. Overall, the IB-SEC framework provides an advanced approach to secure IoT networks and enable smart city applications. Moreover, the developed platform enables the integration of heterogeneous edge devices, sensors, and systems which is effectively managed and adapted by Median Access Control (MAC) protocols. The IB-SEC is implemented in MATLAB and validated through cutting-edge security algorithms in terms of improved security, reliability, throughput, and reduced latency and energy consumption.

Smart cities enhance the quality of life for citizens by utilising cutting edge technologies such as 5G and beyond wireless communication. Internet of Everything (IoE) enables a smart city to power and monitor multiple geographically distributed IoE nodes to support a range of applications across various domains such as energy and resource management, intelligent transport systems and E-health to name a few. Due to unprecedented increase in the use of IoE technology and the volume of data it generates, there is need to develop a state-of-the-art architecture to support wide range of applications in order to manage smart city resources in an efficient and intelligent manner. In this work in progress article, we present a conceptual design to establish efficient task off-loading and resource allocation architecture for smart city environment. We first present a novel conceptual design, called conventional model for task off-loading and resource allocation. Secondly, we build upon the conventional model to introduce the intelligence for task off-loading and resource allocation problem. We further develop the specific research questions in order to design and evaluate the performance of various units within the above mentioned models to accommodate the technological advancements such as the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the sixth generation (6G) wireless communication era.

The government announced the fourth comprehensive plan for smart cities in May, following the enactment of the world's first smart city-related law in 2008 and the implementation of smart city policies.Although it has led to the development of smart infrastructure that integrates information and communication technology into new cities, the government's top-down approach has also faced criticism.Recently, the significance of the Smart City Living Lab, involving citizen participation, has gained prominence in the evolving landscape of smart city policies.Initiatives like the smart city challenge and integrated platform supply projects underscore the shift toward citizen engagement.The government is now advocating for a smart city convergence course tailored to university characteristics to nurture innovative talents for smart cities.Domestic universities have started to embrace living labs in response to this trend.This study proposes a policy direction for the efficient operation of the Smart City Living Lab project, which local governments increasingly adopt.It also delves into the management of the Resident-Participatory Living Lab, which is university-led and involves citizen participation and its implications.This study of living labs in Dangjin, this research explores strategies to activate and manage living labs at domestic universities through a case study of living labs in Dangjin city.

PrivySharing: A blockchain-based framework for privacy-preserving and secure data sharing in smart cities

In the near future, smart cities are expected to provide their digital citizens with a new generation of real-time and time-critical, location-, social-, and context-aware services that leverage capillary Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructures providing a constant stream of information. However, the multitude and pervasiveness of IoT-based IT services in smart city environments raise significant security issues, as they present a massive attack surface. This is further exacerbated in humanitarian assistance and disaster recovery (HADR) scenarios, which often involve partnerships between civilian and military organizations. To date, HADR operations have mostly leveraged the deployment of ad hoc communication systems with limited or no connection to IT infrastructures in the affected cites. In the future, they will increasingly rely on smart city infrastructure systems such as traffic monitoring systems, smart utility networks, and public transportation systems for building and maintaining enhanced situational awareness. The military has been increasingly looking toward IoT as an extremely valuable, although not entirely reliable, information source for situational awareness purposes. More specifically, appropriate and robust security and trust management measures need to be deployed to ensure the availability, confidentiality, and integrity of information throughout its life cycle. This is particularly complicated considering the different ownership, administration domains, and policies that apply to these military and civilian assets and services. This article reports on the methodologies and tools proposed within the NATO IST-147 Research Task Group (RTG) on Military Applications of IoT that recently concluded its three-year activity, as well as the planned activities in the follow-up IST-176 RTG on Federated Interoperability of Military C2 and IoT Systems.

Recently, the deployment of various Internet of Things (IoT) sensors has encouraged smart cities to accumulate a large volume of data. When machine learning models utilize such accumulated raw data to predict events and situations, various systems of a smart city, such as traffic accident management systems, can be further developed by utilizing the predicted events and situations. However, although there has been a large volume of various IoT raw data on smart cities, such data do not have labels that are related to events or situations. Data with meaningful labels are required for the training of the models. Because these sensor data do not have meaningful labels, the data cannot be utilized into the models. There are several existing methods for labeling, but they have different drawbacks. In this study, we investigate the feasibility of utilizing social media messages to extract meaningful labels for machine learning to predict events and situations in smart city environments. As a case study, we compared the extracted labels from social media messages with the events and situations found in announced traffic news, and other articles. The results show that it is feasible to utilize social media messages as a source for meaningful labels of events and situations. We also propose an improved clustering algorithm using an outlier detection technique to extract meaningful labels in a more robust way. Furthermore, for other researchers who want to utilize the IoT raw data, we analyze and release the refined sensor data on which there were unknown noise.

CoVAC: A P2P smart contract-based intelligent smart city architecture for vaccine manufacturing

The proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has opened new roads for collaborative distributed applications, particularly in smart city environments, where a variety of resources, including sensing, actuation, computation, and storage, are essential for providing effective location-based services. This paper specifically focuses on the sharing of heterogeneous resources among IoT applications in smart cities. By leveraging game-theoretic principles, this study addresses resource allocation through a combinatorial double auction. The solution is rooted in the concept of Social IoT (SIoT), where Internet-connected objects create dynamic social networks based on rules set by their owners. Social relationships, such as ownership and co-location, are leveraged to form groups offering enhanced reliability resource bundles. The proposed solution offers several key economic properties, including incentive compatibility, individual rationality, and a balanced budget, while maintaining low computational complexity. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed combinatorial double auction mechanism achieves over 70% successful resource allocation for up to 1000 requests, maintains computational efficiency with execution times under 30 s, and ensures economic properties such as incentive compatibility and individual rationality, making it a scalable and practical solution for large-scale smart city IoT applications.

Improving consumer satisfaction in smart cities using edge computing and caching: A case study of date fruits classification

PropósitoEste artículo se enmarca dentro del estudio de los modelos de gobernanza colaborativa en las ciudades inteligentes y analiza aquéllas que son miembros de la red EUROCITIES y, además, participan en un grupo de trabajo sobre "ciudadanía creativa", buscando analizar el uso de las nuevas tecnologías por parte de los gobiernos de estas ciudades inteligentes con el objetivo de mejorar la e-participación pública.Diseño/metodología/enfoqueEsta investigación se basa en dos métodos de recopilación de datos. En primer lugar, este documento realiza una encuesta electrónica enviada a las principales ciudades inteligentes europeas sobre: a) la relevancia de la gobernanza colaborativa en las estrategias de las ciudades; b) los principales fundamentos y resultados de la gobernanza inteligente; y c) el modelo de participación en el desarrollo de una ciudad inteligente. En segundo lugar, este trabajo realiza, a fecha de mayo de 2017, un análisis de las nuevas tecnologías utilizadas por 47 gobiernos locales de estas ciudades inteligentes (aquéllas incluidas en el grupo de trabajo de "ciudadanía creativa" en la red EUROCITIES) para facilitar la participación electrónica de la ciudadanía.HallazgosLas ciudades inteligentes de muestra creen que la gobernanza colaborativa debe ser implementada en la gestión de la ciudad inteligente, pero menos del 50% han creado plataformas de e-participación ciudadana para promover la involucración de la ciudadanía en los asuntos públicos, y sólo unas pocas de estas ciudades promueven el desarrollo de consultas, discusiones y peticiones online. Además, un análisis realizado por culturas administrativas destaca la existencia de diferencias entre las percepciones obtenidas de los gestores de las ciudades inteligentes de la muestra y las herramientas que estas ciudades utilizan para fomentar la e-participación pública.Originalidad/valourEste documento contribuye a llenar el vacío en la investigación sobre el análisis de la relevancia de los modelos de gobernanza colaborativa en ciudades inteligentes y el uso de web de transparencia, de datos abiertos o de plataformas de participación electrónica para promover la participación ciudadana en los asuntos públicos dentro de estas ciudades.