UK utilities dealing with "uncharted" smart meter territory
May 6, 2013 | By
Barbara Vergetis Lundin
A survey of 1,000 U.K. consumers about smart meter privacy revealed that British consumers believe utility companies will only install smart meters in high-earning households, creating a class division, despite widely publicized benefits of reduced energy bills and environmental improvements. The research from IT security solutions provider Tripwire also found that:
"Consumer fears about smart meter privacy are well founded. In a recent survey, energy industry security professionals identified metering infrastructure as one of the highest risk areas in smart grids," said Dwayne Melancon, Tripwire CEO. "Smart grids comprise an enormous range of technology, each of which introduces many potential vulnerabilities that may be susceptible to cyber attack…This ever-increasing rate of network complexity, combined with the lure of easily monetized consumer data, will inevitably draw the attention of a wide variety of cyber attackers." Smart electric meters were introduced in the U.K. in 2009. "Without adequate security controls, our critical infrastructure will continue to be at risk -- and this is uncharted territory for many utilities providers," Melancon said. For more: © 2013 FierceMarkets. All rights reserved. http://www.fierceenergy.com http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/uk-utilities-dealing-uncharted-smart-meter-territory/2013-05-06 |