#Error codes for sensus water meter password#
One utility used a default password system which used a generic password on its web site (where users would log in and view their water usage) that was easily hacked. McNabb said his research showed that vendors don’t use frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS), which could stop eavesdropping on wireless signals, or encryption with their smart meters. McNabb also noted that the Hydrosense device created by researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle can be attached to water faucets to determine the usage coming out of a particular fixture in the home. “It’s already established that law enforcement is using electricity use and thermal imaging,” where the heat generated by indoor marijuana-growing farms has been measured. He said that the water department’s staff could learn what time of day you take a shower, when you are at home, and when you’re on vacation. But McNabb said that the concern about Big Brother is also a big one. Ioactive, a security penetration testing firm, also did something similar. Last year, Greek hacker Thanassis Giannetsos demonstrated how it was possible to introduce a worm to the smart electrical grid (similar to water grids) on a simulated network. And since the usage of water indicates the presence or absence of the homeowner, the hacked water meters can be used for surveillance purposes. They could also increase the bill paid by a neighbor they don’t like, or evade restrictions on the amount of water used. If people want to reduce their water bills, they could hack the sensors. The cyber attacks against them can be active, where commands are issued to them, or passive, where the data is taken.
The sensors are unattended and hang on the meter, outside the house, and so they are easily tampered with. Communications are not encrypted (largely due to higher costs) and so they are easily intercepted, faked or even jammed. The problem with the wireless water meters is that they are vulnerable because of the wireless medium they use. “But it could also be a tool for Big Brother,” a reference to the totalitarian figurehead of George Orwell’s novel, 1984. “It’s like an electronic cash register for the utility,” McNabb said. California in particular is racing ahead in deployment, and 25 manufacturers are making the smart meters now. The market researcher defines a smart meter as a component of a smart grid, with two-way communications between the meter and the water utility that allows the utility to get readings on an hourly (or more frequently) basis and issue commands to the meter. And Pike predicts that the worldwide installed base of smart water meters will increase from 5.2 million in 2009 to 31.8 million by 2016. The smart water meter market is expected to total $4.2 billion between 20, according to market researcher Pike Research. Utilities can also resolve billing disputes better, provide more customer service, enforce water conservation, and identify illegal water connections. Water meters with wireless attachements can become sensors for the utility and two-way communications systems. They can also detect water leaks more precisely, based on water usage patterns throughout the population. It’s easier for utilities to monitor usage on any given day and send bills more frequently. Here’s McNabb’s white paper on the topic.Īdding computer technology throughout the infrastructure helps bring down costs. For instance, some meters broadcast a wireless signal so that a meter reader can simply drive by, detect the signal, and record it electronically. Utilities have started to put in wireless water meters that are easier to read and less costly. Water companies lose revenue when those meters get old and sediment builds up in them so that they measure lower water usage. Lots of water meters are still mechanical devices.
Water could be similar, and it winds up increasing the rates for others.” “Electric utilites assume they use about 10 percent losses to theft each year. “The energy theft when it comes to water theft is billions of dollars a year,” McNabb (pictured) said.
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