Trust infrastructures for future energy networks

Efficient use and distribution in future energy infrastructures largely depend on distributed control, metering and accounting functionalities. In such a Smart Grid essential components are distributed over the complete infrastructure, in particular parts of the infrastructure will be placed under possibly hostile end-user's control. Thus, the dependability of the Smart Grid depends on the security of every component deployed. Considering the large variety of known attacks on IT infrastructures proper protection mechanisms need to be considered already in the early design of Smart Grid architecture and their components. The notion of Trusted Computing established in the PC area can also be used in Smart Grids to establish trust among all involved stakeholders and to ensure the proper functioning of devices. This paper discusses relevant security requirements and introduces a vision of a security infrastructure for energy networks built on hardware trust anchors.