The Smart Grid Needs an Identity

Actually, eventually, millions or billions of mobile device identities. Shidan Gouran helps us imagine the enormous scope of the beast we're coaxing into life, including some of its basic identity-related security challenges:

Grid authorization, authentication and accounting mechanisms, together with security infrastructure, would be needed to ensure a device’s proper identity, the network's integrity, and proper accountability. The accounting process would also have to include sophisticated and decentralized clearing-house services so consumers could charge their PEVs with roaming utilities. Of course all these requirements would extend to every mobile/portable electric device including laptops and other consumer electronics.

Read the whole piece here.