Power supply infrastructures are facing radical changes. The introduction of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) into power grids will allow to automatically monitor and control the power demand and supply. This concept is generally referred to as Smart Grid, and is expected to exponentially grow during the coming years. However, ICT systems are increasingly subject to security cyber attacks, which can have a disruptive impact on the whole power grid, and put people’s safety and business interests at risk. This report covers background information on the smart grid with focus on smart metering in particular. Important aspects such as security and life-cycle management are covered. In addition, the typical smart grid components and communication protocols are surveyed.