International Journal of Network Security & Its Applications (IJNSA) - ERA, WJCI Indexed
ISSN: 0974 - 9330 (Online); 0975 - 2307 (Print)
Smart Meter Security Issues: A Review Paper
Osama Alshannaq1, Mohd Rizuan Baharon1, Shekh Faisal Abdul Latip1, Hairol Nizam Mohd Shah1 and Áine MacDermott2, 1Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Malaysia, 2Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom
Abstract
In recent decades, conventional electric power systems have seen escalating issues due to rising electrical consumption, leading to voltage instability, recurrent blackouts, and heightened carbon emissions. These challenges highlight the pressing necessity for a more efficient and sustainable energy infrastructure. The smart grid has emerged as a disruptive solution, providing improved energy distribution, real-time monitoring, and facilitating renewable integration. Central to this evolution are smart meters, which are essential elements of the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), facilitating precise energy monitoring, bidirectional connectivity, and remote oversight within smart households and grids. Nonetheless, despite their functionalities, smart meters provide potential security threats, including susceptibility to cyberattacks and physical interference. This review article seeks to examine the fundamental characteristics and functionalities of smart meters, identify significant security and implementation difficulties, and emphasise their role within the larger smart grid ecosystem. This paper conducts a thorough analysis of existing literature to analyse the communication technologies utilized, the possible threat landscape, and the significance of strong security frameworks. The results underscore the necessity for secure communication protocols, sophisticated encryption, and physical protections to guarantee the reliability and integrity of smart meter implementations in contemporary power systems.
Keywords
Smart grid, Secure smart meter, Attacks on data, network attacks, Physical hardware attacks
