Traditionally, the electric meters attached to structures, the wired and underground poles that deliver electricity to them, and the plants where electricity are generated have all been operated and maintained independently by field workers who gather data in a one-way system of communication. In other words, when a problem occurs with an electric meter or a pole in the traditional system, an expert has to go out and assess the problem, as there is no automated way for the system itself to send feedback.
For this reason and others, many have hailed smart grid technology as the solution, and as the way to bring the electric grid into the 21st century. But according to Chalk and many other experts in the field, smart grid technology is highly vulnerable to cyber attacks, and the technology is so digitally centralized that hackers are sure to "crack the code," so to speak, and eventually bring down the system.
"We're in a state of crisis," says Chalk. "The front door is open and there is no lock to be had. There is not a power meter or device on the grid that is protected from hacking -- if not already infected -- with some sort of trojan horse that can cause the grid to be shut down or completely annihilated."
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