"OSU Research Shows How Hackers Can Target Smart Meters to Destabilize Electricity Grid"
Researchers from the Oregon State University (OSU) College of Engineering have demonstrated that hackers can destabilize a power transmission grid by manipulating smart meters to cause an oscillation in electricity demand. A smart meter is a digital device that captures electricity usage data and transmits it via a telecommunications connection to a local utility. The meters can be used to remotely shut off customers' power, such as in the case of unpaid bills, as well as to provide customers with more information about their electricity consumption. Similar to circuit breakers in a home's electrical panel, power grid components can "trip" and shut off when demand or load is excessive or otherwise problematic. The load is then transferred to other grid network components, which may also shut down, creating the potential for a domino effect that can cause a blackout. In this study, conducted with OSU College of Engineering associate professor Jinsub Kim, researchers used a time-domain grid protection simulator model to show how a load oscillation attack can compromise transmission. This article continues to discuss the research on load oscillating attacks on smart grids.