The technical director of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has said that emerging smart cities in the UK will need to be vigilant and prepared for possible cyber-attacks.

Smart cities are seen as places that collect data to make the lives of the citizens that live there more efficient.

In a recent blog post via ncsc.gov.uk, Dr Ian Levy of the NCSC references the 1969 film ‘The Italian Job’ as a potential example and premonition as to what might happen in the near future.

During the film, the traffic management system in Turin, Italy is manipulated to create a gridlock as part of a heist for thieves to steal countless amounts of gold.

“A similar ‘gridlock’ attack on a 21st century city would have catastrophic impacts on the people who live and work there, and criminals wouldn’t likely need physical access to the traffic control system to do it”, said Dr Levy. 

“These connected physical environments are just emerging in the UK, so now is the time to make sure we’re designing and building them properly.”

This blog post coincided with the release of the NCSC’s ‘Connected Places Cyber Security Principles’ guide, which offers advice into security measures when designing smart cities. This can be read here.