The Smart Grid brings greater benefits for utilities and customer alike, however these benefits come at a cost from a security perspective. Unlike the over-hyped messages we usually hear from the media, the sky is NOT falling. However, just like any other technology, the systems and devices that make up the Smart Grid will have weaknesses and vulnerabilities. It is important for us to understand these vulnerabilities, how they can be attacked, and what we need to do to defend against those attacks.
This presentation will explore how the increased functionality and complexity of the Smart Grid also increases the Smart Grid's attack surface, or in other words, increases the ways attackers can compromise the Smart Grid's new infrastructures, systems, and business models. We'll discuss several specific attack avenues against the Smart Grid and the recommendations we are making to utilities and vendors to mitigating and blocking these attacks. This will be done without the FUD and over-hyped framing that we usually find in the media and other Smart Grid presentations.