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Why it is critically dangerous to leave electricity meters and industrial equipment directly accessible on the Internet

In recent years, we have observed an alarming practice — colleagues and companies leaving electricity meters, controllers, and critical equipment directly accessible from the Internet, without any protection. At first glance, this may seem convenient — quick access to the system from anywhere. But in reality, it is an open door to attacks, sabotage, and even physical damage to the infrastructure.

What can happen if the equipment is exposed directly to the Internet

Unauthorized access and manipulation

  • Anyone with basic skills can scan for open ports and gain access to the device.
  • They can change the configuration, disable it, or tamper with the meter readings.

Sabotage and physical damage

  • With electricity meters and controllers — there is the possibility to shut off power, overload systems, or halt production.
  • With industrial controllers — there is a risk of accidents, process shutdowns, and even endangering human life.

Loss of data and reputation

  • Theft of information (consumption, production data, personal data).
  • Loss of trust from clients and partners.

Being used as part of a botnet

  • The device can be turned into part of a botnet for cyberattacks without the owners even suspecting.

Why direct Internet access is the wrong approach

  • Most industrial devices do not have built-in encryption or strong authentication.
  • Firmware is often not updated regularly.
  • Manufacturers assume that the devices will be in a protected local network.

That is why placing them directly on the Internet is like leaving a safe out on the street — even if it is locked, the risk is enormous.

How to protect yourself – proven solutions

1. MikroTik (RouterOS)

  • Building a firewall and NAT so that the devices are not directly accessible.
  • Support for OpenVPN and WireGuard with easy configuration through the web interface.​
  • Configuring address lists to restrict access only from specific IP addresses.

2. pfSense

  • An open-source solution with highly flexible security capabilities.
  • Support for OpenVPN and WireGuard with easy configuration through the web interface.
  • IPS/IDS (Snort, Suricata) за засичане и блокиране на атаки в реално време.

3. Fortinet (FortiGate)

  • Corporate-level security with built-in UTM (Unified Threat Management).
  • Centralized management and logging — suitable for companies with multiple sites.
  • Strong protection through SSL VPN, two-factor authentication, and web filtering.

Our solutions

We offer complete solutions for the protection of critical control systems and infrastructure with

  • MikroTik — a reliable and affordable choice for small and medium sites.
  • pfSense — a powerful open-source platform with rich features.
  • Fortinet (FortiGate) — enterprise-class security for large organizations

Each solution is built according to the client’s needs, with priority on:

  • VPN access (OpenVPN, WireGuard, SSL VPN)
  • Network segmentation and firewall protection
  • Centralized monitoring and updates

Conclusion

Leaving electricity meters or industrial equipment directly accessible on the Internet is an invitation to disaster — not only digital, but also physical.

Solutions with MikroTik, pfSense, or Fortinet provide a reliable and affordable way to ensure protection.

The investment in security is many times smaller than the cost of an attack or failure

Today is the time to check whether your system is protected — before someone else does it for you.