Did Stimulus Grant Deadlines Push Utilities to Overlook Security in Early Smart Grid Deployments?

Stimulus grant deadlines may have pressured some utilities to deploy meters and other Smart Grid technologies without adequate cyber security measures in place. Ian Mitton, HP utilities industry director and global lead on Smart Grid technology, conceded at the Executive Energy Conference in Dubai this week that security had been overlooked in some early Smart Grid deployments. In an eWEEK Europe UK article, he noted "They have to the end of next year otherwise they forfeit their money." Security company IOActive has made similar statements, indicating that the time restriction on the stimulus money's availability has pressed utilities to get projects online in timeframes that aren't consistent with their typical operations.

Quick Take: It's infinitely easier and far less expensive to include security measures in Smart Grid deployments from the beginning rather than try to bolt them on later. Take a look at the links below to see our experts' takes on the issue.

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