UI, IBM in smart-meter security pact

New Haven's United Illuminating Co. has hired computer giant IBM Corp. to help the Connecticut electric and gas utility tamper-proof its fleet of smart meters due to enter service later this year.

Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM said UI's parent, UIL Holdings Corp., sought its expertise to help secure its smart meters and metering infrastructure from vulnerabilities and security attacks. Financial terms of the agreement weren't disclosed.

The new "smart" grid will enable UI to collect data on energy consumption and assist many of its 324,000 electric customers in making better energy choices, authorities said.

As part of the upgrade, UI created an open, shared environment that would allow authorized customers to access their data, officials said. However, during this process, UI anticipated its increased susceptibility to a host of threats and recognized that the infrastructure required an added layer of security to protect against unauthorized public access.

IBM technology will secure UI's 50,000 advanced meters, with the goal to support a total of 80,000, by the end of 2011, the company said.

As UI rolls out additional smart meters to more of its customers, the secure environment will be extended to accommodate the communications platform supporting UI's entire advanced metering system.

Connecticut Light & Power Co. is planning a similar rollout of smart-meter technology.