IBM & SDG&E Smart Meter security

[Andrew Lentvorski]

Randall Shimizu wrote:

> The big concern is the grid not so much the meters. One big risk would
> be to direct a power surge a particular business possibly. A super
> spike that would burn out everything connected to it.

Um, electricity isn't like TCP traffic.  You can't force electrons down 
a pipe if someone doesn't want them.

Even if you hack the smart meter, you can't increase the voltage on my 
line.  Nor can you imbalance the phases of a 3 phase line.

The only things *you* can do to *me* by hacking a smart meter is cause 
me to have a bigger electricity bill or possibly cut off my electricity.

-a