The idea of hackers bring down the entire power grid might seem something out of a sci-fic movie just like DieHard 4 but security analysts say that the threat is for real. The threat is a possibility because of the use smart grids involving two million devices, largely wireless, which sends data back and forth between power stations and homes. Security researchers at Seattle based IOActive claim that they have proven the devices are vulnerable to virus attack by hacking. Equipment worth $500 was more than enough to create a worm virus which spread rapidly across meters in the network.

Naturally the researchers didn’t do any serious damage: according to PCWorld they simply tweaked the meters so that their LCD screens displayed the word ‘pwned’ rather than the meter readings. But the researchers believe a similar technique would allow hackers to either remotely shut down the supply to customers, or send bogus increased demands for power to a station causing blackouts. Such an attack could cause a knock-on effect to other stations in the network. The firm has passed on its findings to officials and is not making the precise details public. However, it’s thought the technique involved exploiting a bug in a chip used in the meters.