Grid stations can be exploit by hackers
The grid technology needs to take security measures in order to prevent them from being exploit by hackers. The new smart grid station technology is being run through applications which are expose to hackers.
IOActive, provider of application security and risk management services, said in a report that digital smart grid technologies, designed to allow for increased efficiency and reliability, are vulnerable to common cyberattacks, such as malicious code, buffer overflows and protocol tampering.
That means products such as smart meters, which can be connected to appliances and enable two-way communication between homes and the utility companies, could provide entryways for malicious individuals — resulting in extortion attempts or even blackouts.
“It increases the attack surface,” said Josh Pennell, IOActive’s president and CEO. “Something that used to be behind lock and key is open to the American public. You are encouraged to participate, in fact.”
But Pennell said smart grid manufacturers may not be thinking about security.
“It’s first to market wins,” he said. “They’ll deal with security later.”
