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. 2022 Nov 30;22(23):9338.
doi: 10.3390/s22239338.

Getting Smarter about Smart Cities: Improving Data Security and Privacy through Compliance

Mudassar Aslam  1 , Muhammad Abbas Khan Abbasi  1   2 , Tauqeer Khalid  1   2 , Rafi Us Shan  3 , Subhan Ullah  1 , Tahir Ahmad  4 , Saqib Saeed  5 , Dina A Alabbad  6 , Rizwan Ahmad  7
Affiliations

Getting Smarter about Smart Cities: Improving Data Security and Privacy through Compliance

Mudassar Aslam et al. Sensors (Basel). .

Abstract

Smart cities assure the masses a higher quality of life through digital interconnectivity, leading to increased efficiency and accessibility in cities. In addition, a huge amount of data is being exchanged through smart devices, networks, cloud infrastructure, big data analysis and Internet of Things (IoT) applications in the various private and public sectors, such as critical infrastructures, financial sectors, healthcare, and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). However, these sectors require maintaining certain security mechanisms to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of personal and critical information. However, unfortunately, organizations fail to maintain their security posture in terms of security mechanisms and controls, which leads to data breach incidents either intentionally or inadvertently due to the vulnerabilities in their information management systems that either malicious insiders or attackers exploit. In this paper, we highlight the importance of data breaches and issues related to information leakage incidents. In particular, the impact of data breaching incidents and the reasons contributing to such incidents affect the citizens' well-being. In addition, this paper also discusses various preventive measures such as security mechanisms, laws, standards, procedures, and best practices, including follow-up mitigation strategies.

Keywords: Personal Identity Information (PII); compliance; data breaches; information security policies and procedures; vulnerabilities.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Large attack surface exposed by the connected infrastructure cause data breaches.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Data Breaches’ Taxonomy.
Figure 3
Figure 3
PCI DSS security goals and 12 principal requirements for the protection of cardholder data [39].
Figure 4
Figure 4
HSS Recommended Compliance Process.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Data breach response steps.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Graphical view of reasons contributing to data breaches.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Graphical view of all counter measures to data breaches.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Continuous data breach risk assessment framework.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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