Cybersecurity weaknesses threaten to make smart cities morecostly and dangerous than their analog predecessors

Recent years have seen where we live – from our homes to our cities – increasingly connected via the Internet of Things. While this connectivity can have huge benefits, such as reduced energy costs and improved traffic safety, these systems can also be vulnerable to hacking and other cybersecurity threats, warns Natalie Allen. She writes that city officials must ensure that security is built into smart city technologies as they are implemented rather than responding after a crisis has occurred.