SIEM Architecture for the Internet of Things and Smart City

Abstract

The Internet of things (IoT) is a new technology that shapes the future of a world that is rapidly being invaded by smart devices connected to the Internet. Such technology has a great role in developing the idea of a smart city. A smart city is a city that takes advantage of existing infrastructure and integrates it with the Internet of things technology to improve the quality of life. Internet of Things (IoT) sensors are distributed geographically around the city to collect data from the environment (i.e.: streets, cars, traffic lights...etc.), process, and manage it to provide intelligent actionable information to citizens. All data transferred through networks of a smart city may be threatened and susceptible to illegal actions such as violation, stealing, and inappropriate use. These security threats affect the privacy and security of users; where hackers can get access to user's data and gain control of their smart homes, cars, medical devices and might even gain control over city traffic lights. All the above enforce the need to have a security system that continuously monitors and tracks all data logs to detect any suspicious activity. In this paper, we propose a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) approach for smart cities by forwarding event logs generated by smart devices to a security operation center that works around the clock to detect security incidents and handle them. Such an approach aims to create a safe smart living environment.