By Susan J. Campbell
Data privacy and cyber security are two of the hottest topics in the telecommunications space as consumers and business users become more mobile, accessing anything from social media platforms to bank accounts and proprietary networks on their mobile devices, all the while demanding that increased privacy and data protections are put in place.
The same is true for utility companies seeking to capture information on energy use. A recent Alcatel-Lucent article, Ensuring Smart Grid Social Acceptance by Securing Data Privacy, explores the challenges that arise in the quest for a more economic and “green” approach to energy consumption.
Smarter utilities are implementing machine-to-machine communications that allow smart meters to send information back to the utility on the amount of energy being used. These smart meters will also manage consumption for consumers, helping them to drive their use and cost of energy down. The challenge for many consumers, however, is the privacy concerns that this practice introduces. Utilities hoping to drive support for their smart meters and the smart grid must be able to secure and manage this data effectively to ensure customer buy-in and deployment success.
To drive the right results, smart grid companies and government regulators are working together to define the current issues, as well as best practices and technologies that need to be in place to secure data privacy and protect against successful cyber attacks. The key element for all involved is that complacency is not an option if they hope to drive the social adoption of the smart grid. If utilities and their partners address privacy issues early in an open and objective manner, they are much more likely to drive successful adoption.
Another Alcatel-Lucent article, Smart Grid Security: An Imperative Investment for Smarter Control, expanded on this concept, highlighting that investing in smart grid security is an imperative. This move is sure to lead to greater efficiency, reliability, customer acceptance and profitability.
Regulation will serve as an important engine for change as it can drive partnerships that will add value to the overall ecosystem. As the global smart grid ecosystem continues to evolve and consolidate, the end-to-end value proposition is gaining in value while also making security stronger and ultimately more cost effective.
The smart grid is inevitable as it will provide reliability as we aim to reduce energy consumption. The end goal should be a global approach that adheres to best practices in protecting information and the network to ensure a secure environment.
Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2011, taking place Sept. 13-15, 2011, in Austin, Texas. ITEXPO offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. To register, click here.
