Investigating the potential threats posed to Smart Cities by the emergent capabilities of Quantum Technologies

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Smart Cities (SC), also known as Connected Places (CP), are emerging all over the world, in various guises. However, what they have in common is the promise of better living standards, more efficient resource usage and environmental benefits, all provided through integrated systems that capitalise on digital information. But this information is vulnerable and, if compromised, could lead to security, trust and identity issues. Quantum computing, as one example of emerging quantum technologies (QT), has been variously described as "here now", "coming soon" or "not for another 10 years"; so, what is truth? And what other QT capabilities will emerge, when, and to what level of assurance? This project will examine the essential characteristics of SC, their governance, systems and underlying technical infrastructure, through an analysis of their reference architectures and work with UK Government agencies, leading to an assessment of the cybersecurity vulnerabilities of SC. It will then investigate the emergent capabilities of QT, focussing on the potential cybersecurity threats that they pose. Finally, the thesis will link the two analyses to prioritise the threats QT poses to SC and seek to propose methods that could enhance SC cybersecurity resilience against those threats.