CryptoAuthentication™ devices allow secure communication and performance monitoring of energy meters, prevents meter and network tampering, and authenticate network components. The smart meter growth trend has gone global, and communicating meters are now becoming a major force in the market. However, the programmability and networked capabilities of smart meters make them vulnerable to many kinds of attacks. In fact, the National Institute of Standards and Technology is working on security standards for the Smart Grid to ensure security of the network and a variety of distributed connected devices in a trusted, auditable, and management manner. Using hardware based CryptoAuthentication™ devices as part of a secure network makes a great deal of sense.