The cyber threats that haunt the electric car

Public charging points can become an accessible weak spot for criminals

Governments around the world are pushing for the shift to greener technologies to combat climate change and reduce their dependence on hydrocarbons.
Norway has built a network of 17,000 charging pointswhile the US Department of Transportation has announced it will do the same and has a $5 billion plan to do so.

In Spain, the target was set at the end of last year to have 100,000 points that provide service on public roads by 2023. The main concern of the institutions is that the cyberthreats they can target electric vehicle charging points could slow their widespread use.

According to a warning from Check Point Software Technologies,
when users charge their vehicles, there is also a data connection between the vehicle and your EV hub. Charging stations are connected to the internet and like any other IoT device, they are vulnerable to the actions of cybercriminals. If an attacker can gain access to an upload center, this could have serious consequences.

These threats include the risk to user security, as a cybercriminal can access a car’s engine management system through an electric vehicle charging point and compromise its safety and performance or render it completely useless. For example, if the vehicle in question is an ambulance, delays can pose a serious threat.

In addition
cybercriminals they could take down an entire network of charging centers by exploiting a single vulnerability in a single device. This would mean a loss of revenue for the operator, as well as an incalculable disruption to the road network.

In addition to shutting down a network of EV hubs, cybercriminals could gain access to operator management software and drop ransomware, causing financial and reputational damage. Also, many commercial fleets are switching to electricity and an intruder can shut down an entire delivery operation with just a simple laptop.

About the vulnerability of
payment systemswould be another action to jeopardize the payment system of an electric vehicle distribution center, which would mean a significant economic loss for both the driver and the network operator.

Check Point Research recently reported a 59% increase in “ransomware” attacks globally, warning that “It won’t be long before the exploitation potential of electric vehicle charging stations is verified, so it’s essential that new, greener technologies are protected.”

Source: La Verdad

Mary

I am Mary Fitzgerald, a professional journalist and author of the Today Times Live. My specialty is in writing and reporting on technology-related topics. I have spent the last seven years extensively researching and understanding the field of technology so I can properly inform my readers about developments in this ever-evolving world.