KU Center for Software Security and Assurance joins I3 consortium to build smart city in Los Angeles

To test IoT environment as a founding member of the consortium

Research found that over 75 billion devices will be connected via IoT networks by 2025. This means that every individual on the planet will interact with at least 10 IoT devices, and such smart sensor technologies are expected to collect data essential to futuristic cities and drastically transform how we live and work.

On November 16, the Korea University Center for Software Security and Assurance (CSSA, Director Heejo Lee) joined Intelligent IoT Integrator (I3) Consortium led by the city of Los Angeles and University of Southern California (USC). Warner Bros., Verizon, and Kiana Analytics are among the founding members of the consortium.

I3 Consortium aims to build community-based IoT networks that encompass the airports, shopping malls, and businesses of the city in order to consolidate data streams into one common flow and create ”Data Rivers”, thus helping IoT-related companies access the data for product development and testing. Such a huge test bed can be used for applications and services that could improve the quality of life for community residents in the end. For instance, the proposed data rivers might connect firefighters to the smart system of a burning building in order to guide them floor by floor, or it can be used for applications in managing energy use, transit, garbage collection, air quality, and parking.

While IoT devices have been widely adopted across society, security measures have lagged behind. I3 also plans to provide a system that monitors against cybersecurity threats and other unexpected IoT activities. At the launching ceremony, KU CSSA, as a founding member of I3, presented IoTcube (https://iotcube.net), a resource that automatically verifies the security of IoT devices connected to the I3 system.

KU CSSA, the one and only institute not based in Los Angeles joining I3, highlighted the excellence of Korean SW security technologies. Prof. Heejo Lee, Director of CSSA, said, “IoT without security guarantees will be a threat to society in the future.” He added, “It’s my pleasure that a global venue is created where we can have a serious discussion on IoT security as a core member. If we have similar discussions in Korea, we could establish a cooperative model.”

I3 Consortium will come up with various activities to lead the data-driven revolution and expand the network in order to tackle possible issues facing cities in the future.

▲ (from left) Seulbae Kim, researcher; Seunghoon Uh, researcher; and Yunseong Choe, Manager