Summary Box: ‘Smart’ meters plagued with serious security holes that threaten power grid

Summary Box: ‘Smart’ meters have security holes

METER READING: Security researchers say new “smart” meters have flaws that could let hackers inflate strangers’ power bills and perhaps even turn their power on and off.

THREAT’S EXTENT: The research was done by InGuardians Inc., which had been hired by three utilities to study their smart meters. These utilities have already deployed smart meters in some communities and plan larger rollouts.

DAMAGE ASSESSMENT: There’s no evidence the security flaws have been exploited, and InGuardians said it is working with the utilities to fix the problems.