Some Smart Meters Broadcast Readings in the Clear

alphadogg writes "University of South Carolina have discovered that some types of electricity meter are broadcasting unencrypted information that, with the right software, would enable eavesdroppers to determine whether you're at home. The meters, called AMR (automatic meter reading) in the utility industry, are a first-generation smart meter technology and they are installed in one third of American homes and businesses. They are intended to make it easy for utilities to collect meter readings. Instead of requiring access to your home, workers need simply drive or walk by a house with a handheld terminal and the current meter reading can be received." Perhaps more distressing, given trends in 4th amendment interpretation, I bet the transmissions are open game for law enforcement.

Comments

Not home?

[nurb432]

Or just asleep.. Or they have a low power foot print most of the time.

Cars in the driveway and no one answering the door is a more accuarate and low-tech way to do this.

Re:Reaching for paranoia

[girlinatrainingbra]

In our neighborhood in La Jolla, a couple of neighbors got burgled while they were away for a month or so, even though they had stopped mail delivery, stopped newspaper delivery, had people coming by to check on the house, had put the exterior and interior lights and even the television on electrical timers so it would appear that someone was still at home... What they'd forgotten about was water usage. When they caught the crooks two months later when they tried to pawn a particularly unique piece of silver jewelry and the cops traced and jailed them was that they had a notebook of water meter readings.

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One of them had put on an orange vest like a construction worker or traffic worker guy and walked the choice neighborhoods and recorded the meter readings. They came back two weeks later, and la voila, anyone whose water had not budged too much was obviously not at home flushing or showering or cooking. (I guess water sprinklers could screw it up in some places, but here we've got two meters: the sprinkler meter only gets you billed for water usage, the house water meter gets you billed for water usage and for sewer usage.)

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The meter reading trick does not require wireless access. Most meters are located in a position where the meter-reader does not have to enter a backyard or gated restricted portion of the property. And seriously, has anyone ever stopped or challenged a meter-reader and said "Hey, let me see you badge, and then call someone and verify it!". I don't think so. So after all this rambling, yes I agree with you, they are reaching pretty hard and being paranoid.

Re:Reaching for paranoia

[ThatsMyNick]

As I said, efficiency is the key. This is way more efficient that jogging around the neighborhood. I can map an entire neighborhood with this by driving around, in a few minutes and be pretty sure that no one is at home. It would take a lot of skill to do the same, by just jogging around. I can also pick better targets using these.
 
Besides it costs nothing to use public key encryption on these. There is no reason why these should not be encrypted.

Re:Reaching for paranoia

[AK Marc]

That'll be seen as suspicious and get them reported. Better is to carry a clipboard and offer to sell them insurance or try to save them. Though, around here, carying a box of chocolates and trying to sell chocolates for his son's school fundraiser would probably be best. Nobody would remember you, but the "Hi, uh, is Bob here?" guy will get remembered, and may warrant a "suspicious person"'s call to the police.

Burglary: No--Spoofing: More likely

[ThundrNeon]

As a meter reader who actually reads some of these AMR meters, I'd say using the information for burglaries is a stretch. Even if you get the info it only includes meter number and reading. Since the address is not listed I can only see it being useful in rural areas where houses are far enough apart to be able to tell which house it is without physically checking the meter. For reference, I can pick up AMR meters in rural areas from about 1/2 to 3/4 a mile away while driving 50 mph. I see the greater nefarious use would be to send out a slightly stronger signal to send a different reading and hence lower your utility bill. Since this process would be wireless and most likely involve doing nothing to the physical meter itself it would be near impossible to catch it as tampering. Also since in my area AMR meters are almost never physically checked, even a physical modification would likely go unnoticed for years.

Imaginary Cancer!

[rueger]

The absolute worst thing about the installation of smart meters in these parts is the endless string of "news stories" by our local community "newspaper"* about the significant health risks posed by smart meters.

It finally reached the point where, lacking any scientific evidence, they're now resorting to trying to outlaw Smart Meters, WIFI, and cel towers because of "electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS). Patients with EHS suffer a variety of symptoms from heart palpitations to migraines they claim are caused by radio frequency radiation.

"You know that western medicine doctors don't know anything about EHS and my naturopath actually tested me. On the sole of the foot on the inside there is a point where he tests the sensitivity to electromagnetic fields. It was very painful and he found out that I am very sensitive," Nemetzade says.

* scare quotes used because, well, the rag is actually pretty scary.