Fog Computing: Modeling the future of smart cities

Abstract

IoT is one of the most impactful technologies in recent years and is the cornerstone of Smart Cities. IoT solutions benefit from Cloud Computing services through scalability, performance and through data sent from millions of interconnected devices and sensors in a city. To mitigate risks, secure architectures have been developed in recent years, but a major issue identified using Cloud technology is the concentration of large amounts of sensitive data and the large number of security solutions that need to be managed. Regarding this, a new emerging technology, Fog Computing, is presenting many solutions to solve some of the limitations of the Cloud by bringing the processing of data closer to the edge. A Fog Computing model not only offers low latency transmission, power efficiency and great bandwith, but also makes vulnerable edge devices and sensors more secure. The aim and objective of the article is to present a Fog Computing model with 2 main directions in developing this concept: data-as- a-service (DaaS) and security-as-a-service (SaaS) and an analysis of the security improvements that Fog Computing can bring to an IoT network (Fog

Computing over Cloud Computing). Fog Computing and its impact on IoT technologies is a new research topic regarding the performance and resilience of a smart city. But there are also cyber security concerns, such as the threat of cyber attacks (DDoS, hijacking, APTs, etc) and risks related to the safety of sensitive data transiting IoT networks. The paper was constructed on secondary research published by companies, researchers and public institutions. Smart Security is a crucial concern for a Smart City’s infrastructure and to the privacy of its citizens. Fog Computing can solve some of Cloud Computing’s security limitations and can make major improvements in the reliability and resilience of security systems, but also in the efficiency of data processing and secure assets capabilities.