The connected devices that many infrastructure companies are planning to deploy as part of a “smart grid” have serious security vulnerabilities that could allow malicious attackers to seize local control of home utility networks, security firm IOActive announced on Monday.

The vulnerabilities, discovered independently by researcher Travis Goodspeed and by employees of IOActive, underscore the dangers of deploying smart grid technologies before the developers have designed adequate security mechanisms, said Joshua Pennell, CEO of IOActive. In particular, the researchers had focused on the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), devices that monitor and control the use of energy in homes and businesses. Currently, about 2 million of the devices have been deployed and an estimated 17 million devices have been ordered by utilities, according to IOActive.

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