Update: Security of Things May MeetUp: Smart Cities and Environmental Sensing

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Our May, 2016 Security of Things MeetUp will take place on the 17th at 6:00PM, with presentations starting around 6:30PM at 150 Broadway in Cambridge (https://goo.gl/maps/oSKuqPixQ2k). Akamai Technologies is, once again, our generous hosts. Remember to give them props in person and (when the spirit strikes you) on social media, as well.

At this month's meeting, we're going to delve into the security of smart city and environmental sensing/monitoring technologies.

One of the biggest applications of IoT technologies is in making our environment more responsive and manageable. Cities like Chicago are on the forefront of this movement with Smart Chicago. That city recently announced that it will start deploying multi-function sensors around the city that collect temperature, light, traffic and other environmental data (http://www.chicagotribune.com/bluesky/originals/ct-array-of-things-new-timeline-bsi-20160414-story.html). Cities like Boston use sensing technologies to detect events like gunshots and improve public safety. But there's a fine line between sensing and surveillance, and the ubiquitous deployment of sensing technologies risks comparisons to Big Brother, even when clear benefits to the public exist.

We'll be talking about what's going on in the smart city space, what privacy, security and data integrity issues arise around smart city and environmental sensing deployments and what solutions exist that might allow communities to leverage the power of the Internet of Things without undermining civil liberties or public support for their efforts.

Joining us will be:

• Chris Poulin, IBM X-Force. Chris is Research Strategist for IBM’s X-Force Research & Development team, where he's responsible for researching and analyzing security trends, creating programs to help customers keep pace with emerging threats, and forging the vision for a secure planet. Want to know what IBM's doing vis a vis IoT and security? Chris is your guy.

• Brendan Dowdall, Concrete Sensors. Brendan is the CEO of Concrete Sensors, a local start up with a disruptive, wireless sensing technology that helps contractors monitor the curing of concrete.

• Behrooz Hashemian, MIT Senseable City Lab. Behrooz is a postdoctoral associate and the Chief Data Officer at Senseable City Lab. Currently he is leading a project on anonymized data fusion that comprises the creation of a platform for matching multiple anonymized urban data in order to shape a multidimensional view of urban activities. In such platforms, current methods of anonymization fail to protect people’s identity and arise concerns on privacy as they allows for re-identification and de-anonymization.

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6:00 PM - arrival, networking

6:30 PM - opening statement, regular business

6:45(ish) PM - Behrooz Hashemian, MIT Senseable City Lab on anonymization of urban data, re-identification and de-anonymization

7:15(ish) PM - Panel discussion: securing the smart city and sensing environment

8:15(ish) PM - wrap up Feel free to contact me and other organizers via the MeetUp interface or directly: paul (at) securityofthings (dot) com.

See you there!

Paul