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Increased smart grids adoption multiplies hack risks says Technavio

With wider adoption of information technology in power distribution networks, or smart grids as they are commonly called, the possibility of rogues taking control of a city's power network or any power plant connected to these smart systems also rises dramatically says experts. According to Technavio, a leading market research company, a few years ago, adversaries took control of systems that controlled critical operating parts of a facility involved in enriching uranium in Iran. They were then reprogrammed, heavily damaging the facility, while readings on control system displayed that the equipment was operating under normal conditions.

Smart grids offer grid operators greater control of the functions of the power network for improving its reliability allowing enhanced monitoring and efficiency through information exchange. Composed of various integrations of information technology and operation technology systems to manage different functions, smart grids offer various access.