“Safety and security is very important – especially post-Covid, it is important to know who is in the buildings.” So says Thomas Kiessling, CTO, Siemens Smart Infrastructure, while speaking at Expo 2020 in Dubai.
The detection technology used during Expo 2020 will be retained after the event ends in March 2022 when the site becomes a residential and commercial neighbourhood.
In regard to privacy concerns with detection technology, Kiessling said that most detection technology used by Siemens at the Expo 2020 site does not collect personal data – and when personal data is used, it is anonymised and the company follows data protection rules in all markets where it operates. The company only stores private data if it is stipulated by regulations. The Expo 2020 site has more than 15,000 cameras and detection sensors that create data points for real-time analysis and decision-making.
“With cybersecurity, you have to be one step ahead,” he explains. “Critical data stays local. There is no silver bullet with security.”
“Digital security and cyber security go hand in hand – you don’t lose the seatbelt because you have an airbag.”
Courtesy Georgia Lewis
