Bio

Nuno Lopes is a researcher at the United Nations University Operating Unit on Policy-Driven Electronic Governance (UNU-EGOV). He currently holds two Postdoctoral positions: one in Internet of Things, Computer Science, at the University of Coimbra, and another in Electronic Governance at the UNU-EGOV. He is also working at both UNU-EGOV and the University of Minho. Nuno Lopes began his career as a professor in 1998 and has been teaching since then at several public and private universities. During his working life, he has been involved in several national, European and international projects, such as Electronic Governance for Context-Specific Public Service Delivery, Knowledge Society Policy Handbook, Policy Monitoring on Digital Technology for Inclusive Education, Intelligent Computing for Internet and Services, Internet of Things for Disabled People, Smart Defence and Smart Cities for Sustainable Development. He also delivers on a regular basis professional courses, seminars, and workshops on ICT, e-learning, computer networks, cybersecurity, smart cities, amongst others.

His current research interests are Cybersecurity, Smart Cities, e-Governance, Public Service Delivery, Mobile Networks, Quality of Service, Real-Time Services, Vehicular Networks, Nano-Communication, and Internet of Things.

 

Invited Talk

Title: The Future of Smart Cities and Cyberspace

The explosive growth of cloud-based and on-demand data systems has pushed vital sectors such as business, banking, and healthcare into risky relationships with IT infrastructure that exposes them to unexpected threats. But governments have even more at stake. Their need to house sensitive citizen data and protect national security has made them ideal targets for cyber-attacks.

Many countries are actively developing e-governance strategies — digital initiatives centered on citizen needs that are meant to promote service efficiency, productivity, transparency, and technological innovation. But these actions have also introduced a range of potential security risks, which need to be met with coordinated cybersecurity frameworks.

What can governments do to safeguard their data systems and citizens, and to reduce the spread of global e-pidemics?