Since 2009, the EU has formed directives concerning common rules for the internal market for electricity and gas, promoting the installation of “Smart Metering Systems” in the Members States.
So, in 2020, at least 80% of the houses should be equipped with Smart Metering Systems, making easier to optimize the supply for each home depending on the particular consumption needs and habits.
What does a Smart Meter mean?
A Smart Meter is an electronic device that remotely records information about energy in every house, such as consumption or others power factors. Smart Meters communicate the information to the consumer and to electricity suppliers for system monitoring and customer billing.
These changes mean more facilities for measuring and saving energy, one of the main challenges for the EU in the coming years, but it also means greater control over the security of these devices, shielding the security of data issued by devices installed in millions of homes.Smart Meters security.
Bearing in mind that there are millions of homes with Smart Meter devices installed, any data breach coming from a cyber-attack could endanger thousands of users and even bring down national grids.
To achieve these challenges, The European Standardization Organizations CEN, CENELEC and ETSI established the Smart Meters Coordination Group (SM-CG), mandated by the European Commission and EFTA.
The first harmonized European Protection Profile for Smart Meter Minimum Security requirements has been certified based on Common Criteria with the support of the European Smart Meter Industry Group (ESMIG).
There are other protection profiles related to Smart Metering systems such as the Protection Profile for the Security Module of a Smart Meter Gateway (Security Module PP) or the Protection Profile for the Security Module of a Smart Meter Mini-HSM but this is the first Protection Profile focusing on the Smart Meter itself.
This means a first step for Smart Meter vendors to adhere to a common set of security requirements based on an industry standard. A European approach that reduces certification costs and accelerates the digitalization process.
How can jtsec help with cybersecurity issues in Smart Meters devices?
jtsec is a is a well-known actor in the Common Criteria field and we can support customers in the certification of their Smart Meters devices. Common Criteria is the most recognized cybersecurity standard, achieve the certification is not an easy task, taking into account that there are often different vulnerabilities that need to be fixed before certification. jtsec has developed CCToolbox a unique framework to smooth the Common Criteria process, saving time and money to our clients and ensuring that certification is successful.
