Memphis Goes Smart: Securing IoT, Visibility, and Control for a Resilient City

Smart technologies are transforming city operations around the globe, delivering efficiencies and enhancing residents’ quality of life.

With the UN forecasting that 68 % of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2050, cities must evolve to accommodate ever‑increasing density.

“The smartest way to balance well‑being and sustainability,” says John Morrison, SVP of International Markets at Extreme Networks, “is to launch a smart‑city initiative.” So how do you build a smart city?

Managing assets and resources

Smart cities leverage technology to manage assets and resources, improving the services residents receive. At the core of any smart‑city architecture is a robust network—without it, the technology that would make a city “smart” would be ineffective.

Because a single network breach can bring an entire city to a halt, a secure, segmented backbone is essential. It ensures seamless operation while shielding the city from potential cyberattacks.

As the number of connected mobile and IoT devices grows, so does the attack surface. Smart‑city planners must therefore adopt a software‑driven, resilient infrastructure to mitigate risks and avoid costly failures.

Multiple levels of user access

Segmenting the network into multiple access tiers is one of the most effective ways to protect city services. By creating private virtual networks, critical functions can be isolated—no external IP traffic is permitted, thereby enhancing security and reliability.

While the proliferation of IoT devices expands potential vulnerabilities, a well‑designed network can remain secure. Prevention is key: comprehensive visibility into network traffic is a cornerstone of effective protection.

Full visibility, control, and security over IoT assets allow the city to operate smoothly while defending against cyber threats.

Making Memphis smart

The City of Memphis—spanning roughly 324 square miles and serving 1.1 million residents—needed a more effective public‑transport framework. We partnered with Memphis to deploy a flexible, smart network that empowered its 90‑person IT team to manage infrastructure and lay the foundation for a future‑ready, resilient transportation system that moves people, traffic, and cargo efficiently.

By gaining comprehensive visibility, control, and security over its IoT devices, Memphis continues its digital transformation, segmenting traffic types and building isolated virtual networks to protect essential services.

The author is John Morrison, SVP of international markets, Extreme Networks.