Posted on 04/26/2012 10:36:42 AM PDT by Kartographer
As smart grid metering systems expand across the developed world, many are starting to ask whether the threats posed by the new devices, which officials promise will save energy and reduce end user utility costs, outweigh their benefits. In addition to documented health concerns resulting from radiation emissions and no cost savings being apparent, opponents of the technology argue that smart meters are violative of basic privacy rights and give the government yet another digital node of unfettered access to monitor and control personal electricity consumption.
Now, an alarming new documentary suggests that security problems with the inter-connected and seemingly convenient smart grid may be so serious that they could lead to a catastrophic failure of our nation’s entire power infrastructure.
In an interview for the upcoming documentary titled Take Back Your Power, Cyber defense expert David Chalk warns that our nation is in crisis. Not only are our smart power grids susceptible to hacking, but they may very well already be infected with Trojan viruses and back doors that will ultimately lead to disastrous consequences:
(Excerpt) Read more at nebraskaenergyobserver.wordpress.com ...
Ever time someone tells something is fool proof
Did you know this month is the 100 year anniversary of the Titanic sinking
I'm calling BS on this. No computer can have guaranteed 100% up time, I don't care how "critical" it is.
I've worked on high availability systems. Regular, rigorous, preventive system maintenance is an absolute part of a system like this. This is accomplished by having dual systems, shared, redundant, network attached data systems, etc.
Part of a system like this can be taken off line (and shutdown if necessary) for maintenance without affecting the rest of the system. "100% uptime" is a myth.
Anything connected to this smartGrid crap would be at risk.
I just got my notice. If I opt out, I'll have to pay an opt-out fee of $75 and then an increase of $10 a month on my bill (to cover the cost of an actual meter reader). The clerk/agent/whatever I spoke with seemed quite unsure that the $10 additional would stay $10 for even a year.
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This is important info.
People need to know.
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Let’s see. The electric company came out and installed one against my protest. A few says later my whole house electricity blew and I had to pay a thousand dollars to fix it So much smart meters.
The electric company forced me to have one installed. A couple of days later my my entire house had no electricity. It cost me a thousand dollars to fix it. So much for smart meters.
When this happens and it will you need an alternative energy source ready to crank up. Otherwise you will live in misery.
The EPA shutdown of coal burning generating plants will without question lead to rolling blackouts in parts of the country during the first heat wave this summer.
IIRC, there was a report a couple of years back that some utility data systems had been hacked and the admins were not sure what, if anything, was left behind.
IMHO, there are any number of things that could cause a catastrophic failure including low-tech shooter teams that take out critical substations.
It's just prudent to prepare to live without modern tech. There is just too much that could go wrong.
I think if I was an enemy of the US it would be a very devastating and inexpensive way to make a major strike against the US.
The experts talk in the article express that they are 100% certain and I see no reason to doubt them. Hackers have already all to often proven thier ability to get into systems even those systems deem ultra secure.
So are you saying there isn’t any way a hacker or hackers could take down a smart grid?
From a smart meter designer: 100% certainty of this article being 100% hyperbole.
There are many things that could take down the grid. Smart meters aren't among them.
They oughta turn off the power for those people who don't want one.
The fear and loathing of digital electric meters has got to be the silliest bit of nonsense in Luddite history.
Looks like this is going to be another smart-meter bashing thread. It's OK; I'm here to lend some sanity.
So, lemme guess: you owed them money, and the remote-disconnect smart meter allowed them to turn your power off.
It’s not the meter itself its the systems that control the meter. You are aware that the meter itself can be told to shut off electrical power? So it you controlled the system you could shut off the power to any place with a smart meter then you could sabotage the system making it unable to turn the power back on or re-direct the power to cause damage to the grid or both.
No.
My company both sells the equipment, and also maintains back-end systems for large utility concerns.
We have fully redundant instant-failover servers. We can upgrade anytime we feel like it, with NO downtime.
in 1982 the CIA was able to introduce software into a Russian pipe line that cause “the most monumental non-nuclear explosion and fire ever seen from space”. That was just introduce software. Imagine what could be done if you actually ‘hacked-in’ and controlled a system?
Not only am I aware, but I work down the hall from the man who holds more patents on remote disconnect than you can shake a stick at. I design smart metering systems for a living.
So it you controlled the system you could shut off the power to any place with a smart meter then you could sabotage the system making it unable to turn the power back on or re-direct the power to cause damage to the grid or both.
That is not the fault of the smart meter OR the systems that control them (like the article is saying). This is basic computer security. Physical security, encryption, limited disclosure of system architecture are all ways my company prevents hacking.
Can a single utility be hacked? Maybe. Enough to bring down one of the grids? I doubt it. Bring down ALL of them like the article says. Utter bullsh*t.
I'm a hardcore prepper, but this article is Chicken Little fearmongering. Period.
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