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Secure, Sustainable Smart Cities and the IoT

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Urban and Rural Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 August 2024 | Viewed by 9828

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Iqram Hussain

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Guest Editor

Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
Interests: IoT; cyber-physical system; big-data; brain–computer interaction; biomedical engineering; health informatics; smart health

Dr. MD Rashedul Hasan Sarker

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Guest Editor

R.B. Annis School of Engineering, University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46227, USA
Interests: energy recovery and harvesting; developing sensor for energy system applications; PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry); shadowgraphy

Dr. Md Azam Hossain

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Guest Editor

Computer Science and Engineering, Islamic University of Technology (IUT), Gazipur, Bangladesh
Interests: high performance distributed computing; grid and cloud computing; data mining and big data analysis on large-scale platform; digital forensic; blockchain technology and IoT

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is our pleasure to invite you to submit a research paper to this Special Issue dedicated to “Secure, Sustainable Smart Cities and the Internet of Things (IoT)”. Submissions covering the most promising approaches and ideas in the fields of sustainable smart cities, smart healthcare, data-driven technology, IoT, security and privacy, and other relevant areas are invited.

In recent years, the notion of "smart cities" and “IoT” has gained widespread acceptance. Smart cities are appealing because they integrate innovative technology with eco-friendly infrastructure. The Internet of Things (IoT) is a key component of the infrastructure of smart cities as a new sustainable approach due to its incredible potential to develop technologies such as autonomous vehicles, smart homes, electronic health records, smart grids, smart manufacturing, smart agriculture, and so on. To make sure future smart cities are sustainable, it is important to build an IoT infrastructure that is secure, scalable, and beneficial to the environment.

However, throughout the design, implementation, and operation phases, there are challenges to the practical implementation of smart cities with supporting technogies, such as IoT, eHealth, and smart homes. The cost of design and operation, device heterogeneity, huge data acquisition and processing, data security, and long-term sustainability are among the key challenges.

To mitigate this, researchers are increasingly developing a wide variety of sustainable technology that may be used to pave the way for smart urban planning. IoT, cyber-physical systems, cloud and service-oriented computing, smart grid, eHealth, intelligent transportation systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, autonomous driving, machine learning, artificial intelligence, computer vision, and blockchain technology are just a few examples of this enabling technology. The integration of various enabling technologies is an emerging field that presents significant potential for smart-city research.

This Special Issue entitled “Secure, Sustainable smart cities, and the IoT” covers various subjects related to sustainability, smart cities, smart healthcare, data-driven technology, and IoT.

Dr. Iqram Hussain
Dr. MD Rashedul Hasan Sarker
Dr. Md Azam Hossain
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

sustainability
smart cities
smart healthcare
data-driven technology
digital twin
internet of things (IoT)
smart mobility
smart manufacturing
big data
wearable devices
smart agriculture
machine learning/ deep learning
methods and algorithms
signal processing (EEG, ECG, EMG, EDA, GSR)
metaverse
activity recognition
biomedical techniques
sleep medicine
smart grid
data science
smart surveillance
public health
infectious-disease surveillance
application of blockchain in smart cities and IoT

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 136 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Secure, Sustainable Smart Cities and the Internet of Things: Perspectives, Challenges, and Future Directions

by Iqram Hussain

Sustainability 2024, 16(4), 1390; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16041390 - 06 Feb 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 940

Abstract

A secure smart city integrates advanced technologies to enhance efficiency, sustainability, and safety while safeguarding citizens’ privacy and data [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Secure, Sustainable Smart Cities and the IoT)

Research

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18 pages, 2658 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enhanced Ant Colony Optimization for Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks Using Fittest Node Clustering

by Akhilesh Bijalwan, Iqram Hussain, Kamlesh Chandra Purohit and M. Anand Kumar

Sustainability 2023, 15(22), 15903; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152215903 - 14 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1091

Abstract

Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) are a rapidly evolving field at the intersection of intelligent transportation systems, emphasizing the need for a stable and scalable VANET topology to accommodate growing vehicular densities. The intricate challenge of route selection calls for advanced clustering protocols to bolster road safety and message routing. This research introduces a novel approach to intelligent clustering routing protocols, leveraging heuristic-based solutions built upon an enhanced ant colony optimizer (ACO) framework. The study unfolds in two stages: the creation of a dynamic search space model and the election of cluster heads (CHs). The innovative dynamic aware transmission range parallel Euclidean distance (DA-TRPED) technique establishes a dynamic search space using the parallel Euclidean distance (PED) concept. This approach evaluates vehicular nodes by estimating PED values, reducing the search process’s complexity. Subsequently, an intelligent cluster head is selected by enhancing the dynamic evaporation factor (DEF) within the ACO technique. The experimental validation of the DA-TRPED technique takes place in NS2 simulations, demonstrating superior performance compared to conventional ACO. This enhancement is evident in metrics such as packet delivery, packet drop, throughput, end-to-end delay, and the lifetime analysis of clustered nodes. The proposed approach holds promise for optimizing VANETs, enhancing their stability and scalability while promoting road safety and efficient message routing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Secure, Sustainable Smart Cities and the IoT)

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17 pages, 742 KiB

Open AccessArticle

When Security Risk Assessment Meets Advanced Metering Infrastructure: Identifying the Appropriate Method

by Mostafa Shokry, Ali Ismail Awad, Mahmoud Khaled Abd-Ellah and Ashraf A. M. Khalaf

Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9812; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129812 - 20 Jun 2023

Viewed by 1741

Abstract

Leading risk assessment standards such as the NIST SP 800-39 and ISO 27005 state that information security risk assessment (ISRA) is one of the crucial stages in the risk-management process. It pinpoints current weaknesses and potential risks, the likelihood of their materializing, and their potential impact on the functionality of critical information systems such as advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). If the current security controls are insufficient, risk assessment helps with applying countermeasures and choosing risk-mitigation strategies to decrease the risk to a controllable level. Although studies have been conducted on risk assessment for AMI and smart grids, the scientific foundations for selecting and using an appropriate method are lacking, negatively impacting the credibility of the results. The main contribution of this work is identifying an appropriate ISRA method for AMI by aligning the risk assessment criteria for AMI systems with the ISRA methodologies’ characteristics. Consequently, this work makes three main contributions. First, it presents a comprehensive comparison of multiple ISRA methods, including OCTAVE Allegro (OA), CORAS, COBRA, and FAIR, based on a variety of input requirements, tool features, and the type of risk assessment method. Second, it explores the necessary conditions for carrying out a risk assessment for an AMI system. Third, these AMI risk assessment prerequisites are aligned with the capabilities of multiple ISRA approaches to identify the best ISRA method for AMI systems. The OA method is found to be the best-suited risk assessment method for AMI, and this outcome paves the way to standardizing this method for AMI risk assessment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Secure, Sustainable Smart Cities and the IoT)

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18 pages, 696 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Trust-Based Secure Parking Allocation for IoT-Enabled Sustainable Smart Cities

by Javed Ali and Mohammad Faisal Khan

Sustainability 2023, 15(8), 6916; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086916 - 20 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1490

Abstract

Smart parking is a crucial component of smart cities that aims to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of urban environments. It employs technology such as sensors and IoT devices to optimize the use of parking resources and improve drivers’ experiences. By reducing traffic congestion, decreasing air pollution, and enhancing accessibility, smart parking systems can contribute to the overall well-being of urban areas. IoT-enabled smart parking refers to the application of IoT technology to optimize and improve parking efficiency in smart cities. However, security and privacy challenges in IoT-enabled smart parking pose risks and concerns related to the collection and use of data by parking systems, such as unauthorized access or misuse of data, potential data breaches, and the need to ensure responsible data collection and usage to maintain user trust and confidence. To address these challenges, we propose a novel hybrid approach to trust management using machine learning algorithms to enhance the security and privacy of the system. Our approach consists of SVM and ANNs, taking into account credibility, availability, and honesty as key parameters. Furthermore, we use ensemble machine learning to select the best-predicted model from different trained models, leading to efficient performance and a trustworthy environment. Our results show that the proposed hybrid SVM classifier with a trust parameters approach achieved an accuracy of 96.43% in predicting and eliminating malicious or compromised nodes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Secure, Sustainable Smart Cities and the IoT)

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21 pages, 2191 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Secure and Lightweight Authentication Protocol for Privacy Preserving Communications in Smart City Applications

by Sunil Gupta, Fares Alharbi, Reem Alshahrani, Pradeep Kumar Arya, Sonali Vyas, Dalia H. Elkamchouchi and Ben Othman Soufiene

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5346; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065346 - 17 Mar 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1474

Abstract

A smart city is a concept that leverages technology to improve the quality of life for citizens, enhance sustainability, and streamline urban services. The goal of a smart city is to use data and technology to manage resources and assets efficiently, make informed decisions, and create a more livable and thriving city for its residents. Smart cities rely on a range of technologies including the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), big data analytics, and cloud computing to gather, process, and analyze data from various sources. The aim is to create a city that is more connected, responsive, and sustainable, and that provides its residents with a better quality of life, opportunities, and services. A secure and efficient message communication protocol for sensitive information and real-time communication is critical for the functioning of a smart city environment. The main findings of this paper are to develop a new authentication protocol that meets the specific requirements and constraints of smart city applications. The message communication between smart cities is conducted with the help of a gateway. The challenge in constructing a working, viable infrastructure for a smart city is to provide secure authentication for message communication between the user and gateway node in one network, and the gateway node of one network to the gateway node of the other network. The objective for doing research to develop an authentication protocol that ensures the privacy and security of data transmitted in smart city applications while maintaining a lightweight and efficient design. This paper proposes a secure authentication protocol and key establishment scheme for access to the application in smart cities to make feasible access through the IoT environment. The proposed protocol ensures the mutual authentication between user and gateways, and the security analysis shows that the proposed protocol is effective against energy consumption and have less computational cost. The performance of the proposed method is analyzed and tested using BAN Logic and AVISPA security verification to confirm the authenticity of the security protocol. We do compare with past studies of which our proposed method outperformed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Secure, Sustainable Smart Cities and the IoT)

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21 pages, 3545 KiB

Open AccessArticle

CoviBlock: A Secure Blockchain-Based Smart Healthcare Assisting System

by Bhaskara S. Egala, Ashok K. Pradhan, Shubham Gupta, Kshira Sagar Sahoo, Muhammad Bilal and Kyung-Sup Kwak

Sustainability 2022, 14(24), 16844; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416844 - 15 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1924

Abstract

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the significance of digital health record management systems for pandemic mitigation. Existing smart healthcare systems (SHSs) fail to preserve system-level medical record openness and privacy while including mitigating measures such as testing, tracking, and treating (3T). In addition, current centralised compute architectures are susceptible to denial of service assaults because of DDoS or bottleneck difficulties. In addition, these current SHSs are susceptible to leakage of sensitive data, unauthorised data modification, and non-repudiation. In centralised models of the current system, a third party controls the data, and data owners may not have total control over their data. The Coviblock, a novel, decentralised, blockchain-based smart healthcare assistance system, is proposed in this study to support medical record privacy and security in the pandemic mitigation process without sacrificing system usability. The Coviblock ensures system-level openness and trustworthiness in the administration and use of medical records. Edge computing and the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) are recommended as part of a decentralised distributed storage system (DDSS) to reduce the latency and the cost of data operations on the blockchain (IPFS). Using blockchain ledgers, the DDSS ensures system-level transparency and event traceability in the administration of medical records. A distributed, decentralised resource access control mechanism (DDRAC) is also proposed to guarantee the secrecy and privacy of DDSS data. To confirm the Coviblock’s real-time behaviour on an Ethereum test network, a prototype of the technology is constructed and examined. To demonstrate the benefits of the proposed system, we compare it to current cloud-based health cyber–physical systems (H-CPSs) with blockchain. According to the experimental research, the Coviblock maintains the same level of security and privacy as existing H-CPSs while performing considerably better. Lastly, the suggested system greatly reduces latency in operations, such as 32 milliseconds (ms) to produce a new record, 29 ms to update vaccination data, and 27 ms to validate a given certificate through the DDSS. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Secure, Sustainable Smart Cities and the IoT)

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