Our world is filled with smart devices that are connected to each other. This interconnectedness, which makes our everyday lives easier, is also what makes these devices vulnerable to cyberattacks.
In 2021, a water treatment system in Florida was targeted with the intent of raising sodium hydroxide levels in the water supply to cause harm. Fortunately, the cyberattack was detected and mitigated in time.
In light of such vulnerabilities and the potential to target critical infrastructure within our smart cities, preventing cyberthreats is of utmost importance.
The more complex the system, the more at risk it is
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a system of interconnected devices that share data across networks in real time, often through various communication protocols.
“Deploying these devices almost everywhere increases the attack surface and provides more opportunities for the attackers to compromise critical infrastructure,” explains Professor Paria Shirani, an assistant professor at the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Such attacks can lead to severe service disruptions across cities, provinces, and even the country, so developing practical solutions to secure IoT devices is critical to preventing devastating effects.
Shirani’s research stretches into analyzing malware, identifying malicious actors through code fingerprinting, enhancing IoT security, researching specific vulnerabilities and generating intelligence about threats.
Her goal is to understand the vulnerabilities within IoT software and to address these concerns to protect lives and resources. “We are currently working to analyze the security of digital systems, such as smart grids and smart cities, and propose automated solutions to detect and prevent possible attacks.”
“We are currently working to analyze the security of digital systems, such as smart grids and smart cities, and propose automated solutions to detect and prevent possible attacks.”
Paria Shirani
— Assistant professor, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Learning how to reduce the risk of cyberattacks
“As a community, we have been ignoring the importance of cybersecurity for a long time,” says Shirani. “I think that we are now at a crucial time where we must pay special attention to cybersecurity before it becomes too late; otherwise, we might need to pay dearly.”
Users can reduce the risk of cyberattacks by taking basic cybersecurity training to learn about the tactics attackers commonly use and how to protect their systems. Users who are educated in cybersecurity, including how to enact effective password policies, protect against phishing attacks, and resist social engineering, are generally more secure and protected against cyberattacks.
About Paria Shirani
Paria Shirani is an assistant professor at the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Ottawa who holds a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in cybersecurity. She is also an associate editor with ACM Computing Surveys (CSUR). Prior to joining the University of Ottawa in 2022, she was an assistant professor at the Department of Computer Science at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). Previously, she was an NSERC postdoctoral fellow at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), USA. Paria Shirani earned her PhD in information systems engineering at Concordia University, during which she was awarded an FRQNT doctoral scholarship.
A previous version of this article was published in October 2022.
