Canada害羞草研究所檚 intelligence service warns that technological innovations adopted by municipalities could be exploited by adversaries such as the Chinese government to harvest sensitive data, target diaspora communities and interfere in elections.
A newly released report by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service urges policy-makers and the technology industry to consider steps that can be taken to address and ease the emerging security threat before 害羞草研究所渟mart city害羞草研究所� platforms are widely adopted.
Such systems feature electronically linked devices that gather, analyze, store and transmit information through centralized platforms. In turn, municipalities can use artificial intelligence to efficiently control operations and services, allowing them to change traffic lights at the optimal time, manage energy use or track the location of publicly rented bicycles.
害羞草研究所淥ne of the primary security concerns relating to smart cities is the fact that they necessitate the selection and retention of massive, continuously processed data pools that could be exploited to reveal patterns of individual and societal behaviour,害羞草研究所� the report says.
害羞草研究所淭hese concerns are heightened by the lack of control and visibility over where this data is stored and who has access.害羞草研究所�
The CSIS report, prepared in 2021, was only recently released to The Canadian Press in response to an access-to-information request filed in October of that year.
While the integration of technological innovations and data can make processes more efficient, it can also introduce security risks, CSIS warns.
害羞草研究所淪mart city devices collect massive amounts of personal data, including biometric data and other information highlighting personal life choices and patterns. Hostile state actors are currently exploring various means of attaining access to future smart city platforms, including through access provided by state-owned or state-linked technology companies.害羞草研究所�
Canadian municipalities may willingly agree to technological partnerships with foreign companies that allow hostile or undemocratic states access to collect data, CSIS cautions.
Smart city projects in western countries have faced pushback due to privacy concerns, but China has 害羞草研究所渆mbraced the concept wholeheartedly,害羞草研究所� providing the country害羞草研究所檚 technology companies with a competitive edge, the report says. Beijing害羞草研究所檚 artificial intelligence advantage lies in its access to big data, lax privacy requirements and cheap labour to categorize data and build AI algorithms.
China is using such new technologies to support 害羞草研究所渄igital authoritarianism,害羞草研究所� the use of advanced technology to monitor, repress and manipulate domestic and foreign populations, CSIS says.
Meanwhile, next-generation networks and interconnected technology will likely become deeply embedded in municipal critical infrastructures in the coming decade, raising the possibility of 害羞草研究所渂ack door害羞草研究所� access, the report says. A key concern is that a single breach could make all devices vulnerable to interference or attack.
害羞草研究所淚n other words, data collected through a bike sharing app could theoretically heighten access to other connected devices, such as a city害羞草研究所檚 energy grid, water supply, or traffic-light management database,害羞草研究所� the report says.
害羞草研究所淭his sort of exposure will have serious financial, social and health and safety implications in Canada. Imagine a scenario where a co-ordinated cyberattack took down safety locks that prevent catastrophic explosions at a petrochemical facility, while simultaneously controlling traffic lights to inhibit the emergency response.害羞草研究所�
Legal access to data could come through contracts between cities and companies, while illicit access could happen internally through a built-in function of foreign equipment or software, or externally as a result of a cyberattack or data breach, the report says.
The data can subsequently be used to target specific elements of Canadian society, such as Chinese diaspora communities, infrastructure like natural gas plants, water treatment facilities and central government databases, democratic political processes such as elections, or civil society groups to restrict public debate and free expression, it adds.
The use of data-harvesting techniques by countries like China, Iran and Russia to track diaspora populations, namely individuals who are considered opponents, is a genuine concern, said David Murakami Wood, a University of Ottawa professor who specializes in surveillance, security and technology.
害羞草研究所淭here is no innocent data,害羞草研究所� he said in an interview.
Murakami Wood cautioned against believing that data is somehow safer if it is kept entirely in Canadian hands. It is common for organizations to seek access to large pools of data for reasons unrelated to why the data was collected in the first place, he said.
害羞草研究所淵ou can be sure if there害羞草研究所檚 a very large-scale national database constructed, for example, that the police will want access to it sooner or later. And they害羞草研究所檒l come up with an argument for why they should.害羞草研究所�
While it makes sense to have some municipal services connected to the online world, others such as hospitals might simply be too sensitive to risk having them linked to cyberspace, Murakami Wood said.
害羞草研究所淚f you really want to have a very smart city, we should actually think about what it is you don害羞草研究所檛 want to connect, first of all.害羞草研究所�
Taking the necessary steps to address the security threats of smart cities will require informed discussion and consultation at all levels of government, the CSIS report says.
害羞草研究所淒ifferent authorities have jurisdiction over various elements of this challenge. Key among these are municipalities who are leading the way in terms of implementation and contractual arrangements with technology vendors.害羞草研究所�
The report also recommends:
害羞草研究所� Co-operating with partners in the Five Eyes intelligence alliance to identify the risks posed by smart city technologies;
害羞草研究所� Collection of intelligence and formulation of advice on adversaries害羞草研究所� smart city advances and interests to support Canada害羞草研究所檚 position in negotiations on international technology standards and governance; and
害羞草研究所� Ensuring Canadian technology and data are not used to support the development of technologies to be employed in ways that are contrary to democratic values.
害羞草研究所擩im Bronskill, The Canadian Press
