IT Security
Distributed systems provide greater security
, IT Security Expert Professor Sören Werth. Professor for IT Security, Applied Cryptography and Discrete Optimization at Technische Hochschule Lübeck. Foto: TH Lübeck
The IT security of the systems is of special importance. Stadtwerke CEO Meier emphasizes this aspect as well: As Stadtwerke (municipal utilities), we must handle highly sensitive data to ensure network security, energy supply and stability. That's why we consider ourselves the gatekeepers of that data. Acceptance of becoming a smart city also depends on the trust placed in data security.
Future quantum computers might be capable of overriding all encryption mechanisms. To address this issue, Sören Werth, professor of IT security at TH Lübeck, advocates the concept of cryptoagility. It means that security mechanisms can be replaced if necessary,
Werth explains.
Currently, most encryption algorithms rely on mathematical concepts such as prime factorization. There is an urgent need to develop advanced methods to allow for a new generation of encryption technologies. An initiative, which is currently a focus of global research.
Thus, President Biden issued an executive order to reduce the risk posed by quantum computers in the U.S. until 2035 by using post-quantum cryptography. Post-quantum cryptography is particularly important for smart cities, as data from many different sources is merged and processed, creating many potential entry points for malicious activity,
Werth points out.
The Smart City enhances the efficiency and performance of our cities.
, IT Professor Andreas Schäfer. Dean of the Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Technische Hochschule Lübeck. Foto: TH Lübeck
Professor Andreas Schäfer is an expert in IT security as well. He recommends the use of open solutions. If we want people to make full use of smart city technologies, they must be based on different systems. Ideally, there should be a choice of providers. Therefore, it's important to have open data formats, open interfaces, and several different ways to interact.
This open approach also helps to ensure the security of a system. If no one knows how a system works, it is more difficult for others to understand and identify possible bugs. But the people who are really interested in finding bugs might actually find them,
Schäfer explains. By allowing everyone access to a system and giving them the ability to monitor it, makes the system safer.