The Value of Intelligent Cybersecurity Strategies for Dubai Smart City

Abstract

Cities all over the world are becoming increasingly smarter, including Dubai Smart City. The Smart Cities vision is to automate critical public services, make improvements for community interaction, and achieve significant levels of efficiency in a connected and technology-driven society, such as in traffic control. However, this has positioned Smart Cities to be a target of compromised Cyber Security, which can potentially undermine the information systems of local departments, general security, law enforcement, and transport systems. Dubai is a dynamic and emerging economy that has the potential to become a major economic center of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region owing to its strength in strategic information. The main purpose of this paper is to explore, evaluate, and discuss components of overall strategic security, innovation, management, and the development of Dubai in terms of Cyber Security. This study also showcases conducted survey results based on the Smart City Cyber Security program. Furthermore, it demonstrates the current and future challenges faced by Smart Cities from cyber-threats, including the development of strategic security plans to defend against sophisticated cyberattacks, and encourages citizens to take responsibility and implement awareness of how to proactively counter cyberattacks on Smart Cities. However, it is imperative to evaluate the strategies that are required to prepare Dubai’s Electronic Security Center to align with Dubai Vision 2021 in order for Dubai to be one of the securest Smart Cities in terms of Cyber Security around the globe. This research aims to argue that to develop Dubai’s Electronic Security Center, strategies should be a top priority for Dubai to ensure the security of the Smart City and to diminish cybercrime in Dubai.