[Cryptography] Smart electricity meters can be dangerously insecure, warns expert

[Jerry Leichter]

>> A smart electric meter provides a way to read electricity used remotely.  It might, I suppose, have a way to shut off
>> current remotely - but I rather doubt it - how often do electric companies need to cut off the power to a subscriber?
> 
> I'm glad to hear that in your experience it is almost inconceivable
> that someone is unable to pay their electric bill, but in the real
> world, this happens all the time....
You're missing the point.  Yes, customers get cut off for failure to pay.  Does it happen often enough to make it worthwhile to build "turn off power remotely" capabilities into meters?  The traditional method - sending someone out there to pull the meter - continues to work just fine.  It's very visible, very sure, and I'll bet is legally required in some places.  Plus - what can be turned off remotely, can be turned back on remotely, providing easier ways to steal power.  The legal liabilities if the power company installed something that allowed improper remote shutdowns would be interesting.  So the economics is not at all clear.

Do smart meters have a remote shutdown capability?  I don't know.  Even if they did, yes, shutting down power would be disruptive, perhaps even dangerous - but "explosions and fires"?  No.

BTW, the grid itself is managed through remote-controlled switches, which themselves have long been known to be badly insecure.  There's a remote-controlled switch on the line not far from my house.  Trigger that, and I lose power - along with 100+ neighbors.
                                                        -- Jerry