Security in smart metering: Terranova's commitment

The challenge of software development under the banner of privacy and security must be addressed in a structured manner. It is not, in fact, merely a regulatory issue. In historical times like these, cybersecurity is one of the hottest topics and, therefore, the market is moving in this direction, with companies increasingly looking for secure and impenetrable software. At Terranova, we consider security to be one of the most important pillars during the development phase, through a multidimensional approach that starts with the infrastructure and goes all the way to the ongoing training of our developers.

Why security in smart metering is crucial

Security in smart metering is not only about data protection, but also about service continuity and reliability. External interference, such as cyber attacks or malware, could in fact compromise the operation of entire metering networks, with direct consequences on the distribution of the resource, be it gas, water or electricity. Moreover, intercepting supply data also means getting hold of personal data of the supply itself and, by extension, of the users connected to it. 

For this reason, the mission of providers is to design and offer resilient software, capable of preventing, detecting and responding effectively to any threat.

Any secure software, to be such, must come to life and be developed in a secure infrastructure. At Terranova, when we provide smart metering solutions, we always accompany the software with detailed instructions for securing the infrastructure in which it will be installed: security patches, firewall configurations, system updates, and much more. Even the best software, if run on a vulnerable platform, can be compromised, which is why infrastructure security is our first pillar. 

As for the security management of the software itself, this consists of a process that involves every stage of the product life cycle, starting from design, which is why we talk about security-by-design.

Analysis and design

During the design phase, our teams analyse functional and security requirements, identifying potential vulnerabilities in advance. The security-by-design approach is an integral part of our methodology, drawing inspiration from the main international standards and frameworks:

• ISO/IEC for information security management;
• OWASP, for the prevention of the most common vulnerabilities in web software;
• NIS Directive for the security of networks and information systems;
• GDPR regulation for the protection of personal data.
  

Security assurance and continuous training

Security culture is at the core of our organisation, as the market, moreover, insistently demands. For this reason, at Terranova we have set up the Security Assurance Committee, a dedicated committee that has the task of:

• monitor and assess the overall security of our products;
• organise regular training sessions on secure coding practices;
• spread awareness of new emerging threats in the cybersecurity landscape;

In this way, our developers not only use intelligent tools such as Copilot, but are also trained and updated to develop secure software in every context.

Moreover, security does not specifically stop at development only: it also continues in the operation and management phase of the software. The specific security modules of our smart metering system offer advanced and specialised functionality for the utility sector, such as

• prevention of suspicious scenarios of automatic closing of valves integrated in gas or water meters;
• continuous checks on IP addresses accessing the system;
• granular management of user permissions, based on roles and responsibilities.

These tools help customers monitor and proactively react to anomalous situations, reinforcing the level of protection during daily software use, beyond generalist cybersecurity tools.

Data protection and privacy

In our MDM (Meter Data Management), we process personal data such as addresses, house numbers, cities and meter IDs. All this information is encrypted and obfuscated in the database, using robust cryptographic algorithms that guarantee confidentiality even in the event of unauthorised access. In addition, the system provides role-based user profile management, so that only those with the appropriate credentials can access the most sensitive data.

Security in smart metering is not an option, but an absolute necessity. At Terranova, we address it seriously, methodically and innovatively, combining secure infrastructure, secure software development, advanced testing, continuous training and smart solutions for our customers. This is the only way we can guarantee an intelligent, efficient and, above all, safe energy future.