Special Issue: Security and Privacy Protection in Smart Cities

Smart cities harness the power of advanced technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and big data analytics to enhance urban infrastructure and services, making them more efficient, sustainable, and livable. These technologies integrate seamlessly to manage city assets, traffic systems, energy networks, water supplies, waste management, and more, aiming to improve the quality of life for residents and reduce the environmental footprint. However, the proliferation of connected technologies also raises complex security and privacy issues that must be addressed to maintain trust and ensure the successful implementation of smart city initiatives.

The importance of security and privacy protection in smart cities cannot be overstated. With the vast amount of data collected and processed to improve city operations, there is a critical need to secure this data against unauthorized access and cyber threats. Moreover, ensuring the privacy of citizens is equally vital, as personal information ranging from location data to personal habits is continuously being collected and analyzed. The challenge lies in creating a secure environment that can defend against evolving threats while respecting user privacy and complying with stringent data protection laws. Failing to adequately secure and protect privacy can undermine public confidence in smart city initiatives and expose them to risks of data breaches and misuse.

In response to these challenges, this special issue aims to explore cutting-edge research and practical solutions addressing the complex security and privacy issues inherent in smart city environments. The objective is to foster collaboration and exchange among academic teams, promoting joint efforts in advancing security research for smart cities. By bringing together researchers and practitioners from diverse backgrounds, we aspire to collectively contribute to the safety and reliability of smart cities.

The topics of this special issue include but are not limited to:

1. Security Authentication and Access Control in Internet of Vehicles

2. Research on Secure Communications for Future Internet of Vehicles

3. User Identity Authentication and Access Control in Smart Cities

4. Privacy Computing Models in Smart Transportation

5. Advanced Strategies for Enhancing Privacy in Federated Learning Systems

6. Data privacy protection in smart cities

7. Privacy-Preserving Large Models for Smart City

8. Privacy-Preserving Data Mining Techniques for Large Datasets

9. Privacy Protection Techniques for Location-Based Services

10. Security and privacy of smart charging in Internet of Vehicles

Guest Editor Detailed Information:
Dr. Youwen Zhu