Policy paper

Secure Connected Places External Advisory Group - minutes 24 October 2022

Updated 8 August 2023

This was published under the 2019 to 2022 Johnson Conservative government

Agenda item 1: Welcome and introductions

1. The Chair welcomed members, and gave a brief overview of the agenda.

2. The Chair asked members to declare any conflicts of interest. No conflicts of interest were declared.

3. The Chair noted the Terms of Reference for the Group had been updated on GOV.UK, and that the minutes would be published on the same webpage going forward.

Agenda item 2: Minutes and actions from the last meeting

4. Members confirmed that the minutes from the last meeting were an accurate reflection. No changes or additions were requested.

5. The Chair noted that all of the actions from the previous meeting had been resolved or would be discussed during the meeting.

Agenda item 3: Delivery plan updates

Supply workstream

6. DCMS updated attendees on the following progress:

• As part of a wider standards project, the team was planning a series of roundtable discussions to be held in early 2023 to further its insight into the standards landscape.
• Work to embed cyber security practices into the connected places market  continued, with a special interest in trying to better understand how small and medium-sized enterprises use guidance in the connected places context.
• The Connected Places Market Analysis research was published on GOV.UK in October 2022. DCMS is using the findings to identify how best it can engage with the market in the future.

7. Members brought attention to CPNI’s guidance for Secure Innovation.

8. The Chair invited members to contact DCMS should they have further questions or comments.

Demand workstream

9. DCMS updated attendees on the following progress:

• The Connected Places Local Authority Alpha Testing project launched in October 2022. The project is designed to assist local authorities with the deployment of the NCSC’s Connected Places Cyber Security Principles. Working with 6 local authorities, the project intends to produce a set of resources and case studies to improve use of the principles.
• Work is underway to develop a research project looking into public attitudes towards connected places and their cyber security.

10. Members reflected the following:

• The majority of research they had seen in relation to public attitudes and cyber security had focused on Connected and Autonomous Vehicles. Members will provide DCMS with further information.
• Belfast City Council has launched a project seeking to build capacity and capability of citizens to become involved in city-wide smart city testbeds and trials. DCMS committed to seek any lessons learned from that work.
• The public reaction to industry research provided good insight on how public attitudes can be to the detriment of connected places development.

11. The Chair thanked members for this comment, and raised the prospect of a future presentation from those involved in industry research.

Domestic and international engagement workstream

12. DCMS updated attendees on the following progress:

• There have been a number of virtual and in-person engagements in recent months, including with teams in Japan, Singapore, Australia, and the US.
• DCMS will be participating at the Smart Cities Expo World Congress in Barcelona in November 2022, including participating in 2 panel events.
• The next DCMS/Connected Places Catapult blog article will be published before the end of 2022. Last month, the External Advisory Group Terms of Reference was updated on GOV.UK, and reaffirmed that future meeting minutes will be published online.

13. Members brought attention to the annual City x City Event that is hosted by Open and Agile Smart Cities, noting there may be an opportunity for DCMS to attend and speak at the event either in-person or virtually.

Agenda item 4: Secure connected places survey

14. DCMS provided an overview of the recently concluded survey:

• Over the course of July and August, DCMS undertook a survey of operators and managers of connected places technologies across the UK.
• 173 responses from local authorities and other public-sector organisations were received. There was a good demographic spread across the UK and responses were above the target number that was originally sought.
• The majority of responses came from local authorities. DCMS is now exploring how best it can reach non-local authorities in future engagements.
• Based on the findings, DCMS is considering a range of options to further support operators and managers of connected places technology. This included supporting local authorities to better understand risk management processes, upskilling teams who are procuring and managing connected places, and improving accessibility to guidance and resources.
• Subject to necessary approvals, the survey would be published in the near future.

15. Members reflected the following:

• A need for further progress on standards.
• Any work with non-local authorities should look to include transport authorities, ports and airports, housing associations, and universities.
• Members shared the Cardiff University Cyber Innovation Hub could potentially offer some support to DCMS on next steps on the findings.
• Members offered their support to DCMS in their outreach to non-local authorities.

Agenda item 5: Presentation from Digital Twin Hub

16. The Digital Twin (DT) Hub provided an overview of their work:

• DT Hub was now run by the Connected Places Catapult.
• The DT Hub had a large and growing community. Its Digital Portal allowed members to share and discuss the work they are doing on Digital Twins.

• There were 4 core priorities for the DT Hub in the next phase of the programme. These were:
  1. to ensure the DT Hub remained the key place for those involved in Digital Twins to network and engage,
  2. to provide a purposeful voice for industry,
  3. to engage with a growing number of sectors and other catapults outside of the built environment, and
  4. to further progress work on interconnected Digital Twins.

• A governance model had been constructed, including a Strategic Board, Advisory Board, and a series of Working Groups which are led by members of the Strategic Board.
• DT Hub invited members of the External Advisory Group to join the DT Community.

17. Members reflected the following

• How the work of the International Telecommunications Union on standards for Digital Twins and the European Committee for Standardisation Digital Twin workgroup are related to the DT Hub’s work.
• Whether in future there would be a  physical presence of the DT Hub.

18. DT Hub would be available to meet in person, and that a physical code repository was being considered for use by the community on the DT Hub.

Agenda item 6: Presentation from Royal Holloway, University of London

19. Royal Holloway, University of London (RHUL) presented an overview of a recently completed research project:

• Over the summer of 2022, a short-term research project was completed, providing insight into whether the UK innovation ecosystem incentivises best cyber security practice for suppliers of connected places solutions, and the reasons why best practice was used.
• The methodology included a mixture of qualitative research via a literature review, and interviews with different stakeholders.
• The key findings of the research were noted to the Group, outlining views on the usability, usefulness, and levels of awareness on best practice, and whether this was driven by market or non-market incentives.
• It was noted that a policy paper summarising the findings, and a full report could be shared.

20. The Chair thanked RHUL for their presentation, and noted the importance of considering connected places as a ‘platform’, as opposed to a ‘sector’. The Chair asked members to contact RHUL following the meeting, and invited RHUL to remain a part of the Group moving forwards.

Agenda item 7: Any other business.

21. The Chair stated the next meeting was likely to take place in January 2023, and there would be an opportunity to attend future meetings in-person, as well as virtually.