CERT-In Report Reveals Cybersecurity Risks in Indian Smart Cities

28 Feb 2025 CW Team

An analysis of 20 smart cities by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has revealed significant cybersecurity risks, including malware infections, botnet attacks, and poorly configured networks. The study, conducted in collaboration with Kaspersky and released on February 17, identified trojans and botnets as some of the most common threats, exacerbated by weak network security protocols.

"The most common vulnerability was allowing remote connections to unauthorised systems," the report noted, though the cities involved were not named.

As smart cities increasingly rely on digital networks, these vulnerabilities pose serious risks to public service delivery and citizens' data protection. The report highlighted that trojans like Avalanche-Andromeda and Gamarue were prevalent in western, central, and northern India, enabling remote system access and electronic espionage.

Meanwhile, botnet infections such as Socks5Systemz were the primary concern in southern cities. These malicious programmes allow infected systems to act as proxies, potentially involving them in criminal activities without their owners' knowledge.

Many cities also had misconfigured Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) settings, which could allow unauthorised access or lead to denial-of-service attacks.

CERT-In recommends that smart cities adopt a multi-layered cybersecurity approach, focusing on network segmentation, stronger IoT security, and real-time threat monitoring. Ensuring compliance with national cybersecurity guidelines, incident reporting, and regular penetration testing are crucial steps in mitigating these risks.

Technology

29 Jul 2026

AI-Enabled Workflows Lift Profitability and Productivity

Organisations modernising frontline workflows with artificial intelligence, automation and real-time data are reporting stronger financial performance, higher productivity and improved employee engagement, according to a global study by Zebra Technologies and Oxford Economics.The research covered 1,000 senior leaders across retail, manufacturing, transportation and logistics in the US, Mexico, the UK, Germany, India, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.In transportation and logistics, 54 per cent of companies that improved picking and packing operations reported faster operational performance, wh..

India Leads Global AI Readiness but Implementation Lags

Indian companies lead global averages across all eight artificial intelligence readiness indicators tracked by JLL, but only 19 per cent have started making changes to their workplaces, according to the JLL 2026 Future of Work Survey.The study found that 77 per cent of Indian business leaders expect AI to change their office requirements, creating a 58-percentage-point gap between awareness and implementation. The survey covered more than 2,200 CEOs, CFOs and real estate leaders across 21 countries during the first quarter of 2026.Despite concerns over automation, 58 per cent of Indian leaders..

Three WOLFF Cranes Build Riyadh Cable-Stayed Bridges

Three WOLFF 180 B luffing jib cranes are supporting the construction of two cable-stayed bridges alongside the existing Wadi Laban Bridge in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The project is being developed for the Royal Commission for Riyadh City and executed by the ICRC joint venture comprising IC Ictas and Al Rashid Trading & Contracting Company.The cranes are handling lifting operations including formwork, reinforcement, concrete placement, work platforms, surveying equipment and other construction materials. Each crane is fitted with a 40 m jib, reaches a hook height of 157 m and offers a maximum ..