13/09/2016
IRISH WATER METER EMPLOYEE SPEAKS OUT
The "smarter" water meters become, the easier they’re getting to hack. Like many things in electronics, water meters become easier for hackers to break into and misuse when they are upgraded to include wireless and computer technology.
The meter that Irish Water is using is the Itron Cyble RF (see picture)
The problem with the wireless water meters is that they are vulnerable because of the wireless medium they use.
Communications are not encrypted (largely due to higher costs) and so they are easily intercepted, faked or even jammed. The sensors are unattended and hang on the meter, outside the house, and so they are easily tampered with. The cyber attacks against them can be active, where commands are issued to them, or passive, where the data is taken.
If people want to reduce their water bills, they could hack the sensors. They could also increase the bill paid by a neighbor they don’t like, or evade restrictions on the amount of water used. And since the usage of water indicates the presence or absence of the homeowner, the hacked water meters can be used for surveillance purposes.
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. Ioactive, a security pe*******on testing firm, also did something similar. But Sligo News's source said that the concern about Big Brother is also a big one. He said that the Irish Water staff could learn what time of day you take a shower, when you are at home, and when you’re on vacation.
“Are we being paranoid?” Sligo News asked. “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.
According to the Cyble RF instructions the radio module should not be fitted beside another electromagnetic source (such as another water meter) in case of wrong reading. The black seal MUST BE IN PLACE to activate counting & radio communication.
This device can only operate between temperatures of +5 celsius to +35celsius.
Also according to Itron Cyble instructions NO DIRECT SUNLIGHT EXPOSITION !!!!!
Transceivers for sending commands to the water meters can be purchased on eBay.
Electromagnetic fields, radio waves, microwaves and wireless signals are collectively referred to as radio frequency (RF) energy. RF energy is all around us. It’s used in various electronics and appliances, including radio and television broadcasting, cellular telephones, satellite communications, microwave ovens, radars, and industrial heaters and sealers, to name a few.
Electromagnetic waves are measured by wavelength and frequency. Wavelength is the distance covered by one complete cycle of the electromagnetic wave. Frequency is the number of electromagnetic waves in one second, also known as a hertz or Hz. One Hz equals one cycle per second. One megahertz (MHz) equals one million cycles per second. Generally, microwaves are radio frequencies measuring more than 1 GHz.
With the high volume of water Meters in a built up area, because of one electric meter to one home could the Electromagnetic waves in the Cyble RF damage you or your Child ?
Microwave exposure at low-power levels below the specific absorption rate set by government regulatory bodies are considered harmless non-ionizing radiation and have no effect on the human body. However, levels above the specific absorption rate set by the FCC are considered potentially harmful. ANSI standards for safe exposure levels to RF and microwave radiation are set to a SAR level of 4 W/kg, the threshold before hazardous biological effects occur due to energy absorption in the body. A safety factor of ten was then incorporated to arrive at the final recommended protection guidelines of a SAR exposure threshold of 0.4 W/kg for RF and microwave radiation. There is disagreement over exactly what levels of RF radiation are "safe," particularly with regard to low levels of exposure. For instance, Russia and eastern European countries in particular set SAR thresholds for Microwaves and RF much lower than western countries.
Two areas of the body, the eyes and the te**es, can be particularly susceptible to heating by RF energy because of the relative lack of available blood flow to dissipate the excessive heat load. Laboratory experiments have shown that short-term exposure to high levels of RF radiation (100-200 mW/cm²) can cause cataracts in rabbits. Temporary sterility, caused by such effects as changes in s***m count and in s***m motility, is possible after exposure of the te**es to high-level RF radiation
Long-term exposure to high-levels of microwaves, is recognized, from experimental animal studies and epidemiological studies in humans, to cause cataracts. The mechanism is unclear but may include changes in heat sensitive enzymes that normally protect cell proteins in the lens. Another mechanism that has been advanced is direct damage to the lens from pressure waves induced in the aqueous humor.
Exposure to high-power microwave RF is known to create effects ranging from a burning sensation on the skin and microwave auditory effect, to extreme pain at the mid-range, to physical microwave burns and blistering of skin and internals at high power levels.
