To avoid cyberthreats happening in the future on EV charging stations, it is necessary to take precautionary steps in this digital age

Having learned from the cyberattacks in the past, a lot has been since emphasised on protecting autonomous vehicle (AV) systems from such repeated threats. Better awareness is key to mitigating your vehicle’s systems from getting compromised and putting you in danger. [1]

Figure 1. Experts Aim to Protect EV Charging Stations from Cyberattacks

Figure 1 shows “electrical vehicles are the norm nowadays. However, their management stations are susceptible to security exploitations,” said Bou-Harb, who is an associate professor in the Carlos Alvarez College of Business’ Department of Information Systems and Cyber Security. “In this work, we endeavored to uncover their related security weaknesses and understand their consequences on electrical vehicles and the smart grid while providing recommendations and sharing our findings with relevant industry for proactive security remediation.”

The team identified 16 electrical vehicle charging managing systems, which they divided into separate categories such as firmware, mobile, and web apps. They performed an in-depth security analysis on each one. [2]

Even if our EV has security protocols and safe algorithms implemented, as well as safety measures, what happens when we plug it in to charge it or we use one of their associated applications? Is our security still guaranteed? Sometimes there might be security breaches within the electric vehicles charging stations (EVCS) ecosystem that could endanger our privacy, but also our safety and even the entire electric grid infrastructure. [3]

Solution

By developing several security measures, guidelines and best practices for developers to mitigate cyberattacks, the team of experts suggested certain countermeasures.

To prevent a mass attack on the power grid, it is recommended that during the development phase of the EV charging mechanisms, existing vulnerabilities should be patched and adequate security measures are incorporated.

“Many industry members have already acknowledged the vulnerabilities that we uncovered,” Bou-Harb said. “This information will help immunise these charging stations to protect the public and provide recommendations for future security solutions in the context of EVs and the smart grid.”

To further analyse other areas of the EV charging ecosystem, the team is working with key industry players. This will help develop more robust and resilient security measures that protect vulnerable charging stations from exploitation. [1]

References:

1. https://www.electronicsforu.com/news/whats-new/experts-protect-ev-charging-stations-cyberattacks
2. https://cleantechnica.com/2022/01/17/protecting-ev-charging-stations-from-cyberattacks/
3. https://www.dekra-product-safety.com/en/importance-cybersecurity-electric-vehicle-charging-stations

Cite this article:

Thanusri swetha J (2022), Experts Aim to Protect EV Charging Stations from Cyberattacks, pp. 97