Title: Emerging Cyber Security Issues of the Smart Grid

Abstract:
The smart grid will use automated meters, two-way digital communications technology, and advanced sensors to save energy, improve electricity efficiency and reliability. Use of these systems exposes the electrical grid to potential cyber security and privacy risks. For instance, there have been media reports of fears that a hacker could gain control of thousands, even millions, of meters and shut them off simultaneously; or a hacker might be able to dramatically increase or decrease the demand for power, disrupting the load balance on the local power grid and causing a blackout.

This seminar will discuss smart grid security and privacy issues with the view to answering the following key questions, among others:

• What are some potential cyber security vulnerabilities of the smart grid?
• What cyber security best practices can be used to handle these vulnerabilities?
• Given that smart grid is a critical infrastructure, how are government, industry, and academia working to deal with smart grid cyber security issues?
• What are some unique customer privacy issues introduced by the smart grid?
• What are some potential areas of research and development (R&D) with respect to R&D cyber security of the smart grid?

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