Smart electricity meters on homes provide ample hacking opportunities, expert warns
ABC News Australia
April 26, 2017
Excerpt
Smart electricity meters carry vulnerabilities that could assist burglars and compromise privacy, but Australian households are not being warned of the risks, a leading cyber-security expert has warned.
Nigel Phair from the University of Canberra’s Centre for Internet Safety compiled a report on the risks of smart meters, which send data on a home’s utility use back to providers remotely rather than being read manually by an inspector.
The report said some smart meters, mostly used for gas and water, only sent information one way and were safe.
However, risks were particularly evident when a connection between the meter and provider sent information both ways “” as is generally the case with smart electricity meters.
“Most of the devices are being built without any inbuilt security around them “” and by that I mean password protection and no ability to update what we call the firmware as time goes on so they become safe devices,” Mr Phair said.
The report said that weakness left an opening for hackers, who could exploit the device once it was cracked.
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