By Shawn Lafferty and Tauseef Ghazi – A smart grid can help utilities conserve energy, reduce costs, increase reliability and transparency, and make processes more efficient. The increasing use of IT-based electric power systems, however, increases cyber security vulnerabilities, which increases cyber security’s importance. Utilities must consider smart grid security, including vulnerable areas, strategic issues, the layered security approach, data management and privacy concerns, and scenario planning and threat profiling.
Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and a meter data management system (MDMS) are basic smart grid components. AMI collects and transmits smart meter data between devices and MDMS facilitates data collection, storage and management. The smart grid system applies AMI sensing, measurement and control devices with two-way communications to the power grid’s production, transmission, distribution and consumption segments to enable real-time pricing, monitoring and conservation. These technologies communicate information about grid conditions to system users, operators and automated devices, making it possible to respond dynamically to grid condition changes. more> http://tinyurl.com/3f278tz
