Abstract
The Smart Grid is one of the most critical infrastructure services of today’s developed nations, providing electrical service to consumers through two-way digital communications. The system aims to improve supply efficiency and reliability while self-healing glitches and reducing energy consumption and costs. Governments have been working to implement these systems around the world as a step in combatting global warming and for their potential to build energy resilience and independence.
Alongside smart grids and the rise of IoT (Internet of Things) in general, smart meters are becoming widespread as well – in residential, business, and industrial buildings alike. The new smart metering is the gateway between the Smart Grid and our homes or businesses, enabling dynamic pricing and information exchange with smart home devices. In its most basic consumer application, smart meters precisely track all energy consumption and send digital meter readings to energy suppliers for more accurate energy bills.
But no matter how smart they are, smart meters still represent a serious vulnerability to the greater Smart Grid, as they are mostly a kind of interconnected communications hub between the consumers and energy providers that comprise the Grid. Malware in particular is a significant threat,
both for the harm it can cause and the challenges in properly addressing it.
The combination of porous devices and the sensitive information flowing through the smart grid has left open an attractive target for malicious cyberattacks. To our collective peril, this security risk is not receiving the treatment it deserves either by cybersecurity industry research or by consumers.
Alongside smart grids and the rise of IoT (Internet of Things) in general, smart meters are becoming widespread as well – in residential, business, and industrial buildings alike. The new smart metering is the gateway between the Smart Grid and our homes or businesses, enabling dynamic pricing and information exchange with smart home devices. In its most basic consumer application, smart meters precisely track all energy consumption and send digital meter readings to energy suppliers for more accurate energy bills.
But no matter how smart they are, smart meters still represent a serious vulnerability to the greater Smart Grid, as they are mostly a kind of interconnected communications hub between the consumers and energy providers that comprise the Grid. Malware in particular is a significant threat,
both for the harm it can cause and the challenges in properly addressing it.
The combination of porous devices and the sensitive information flowing through the smart grid has left open an attractive target for malicious cyberattacks. To our collective peril, this security risk is not receiving the treatment it deserves either by cybersecurity industry research or by consumers.
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 50-55 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Coller Venture Review |
| State | Published - 2019 |
