EV Charging Cybersecurity is Critical for Grid Security

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The growth in electric vehicle (EV) usage, as well as the overall evolution from mechanical vehicles to software-run vehicles, requires a heightened focus on EV charging cybersecurity.  Simply put, EV charging infrastructure integrates with the power grid and therefore represents a backdoor opportunity for any hacker off the street to penetrate the company’s network.

What Utilities Need to Know About EV Charging Cybersecurity

First and foremost, it is important to understand that the complexity of this issue is set to grow exponentially in the future.  This is because future charging infrastructure will include V2X communications such as V2G (Vehicle to Grid), V2V (Vehicle to Vehicle), and V2P (Vehicle to Pedestrian).

Making matters worse is that there are multiple ways a hacker can wreak havoc, such as:

• Unauthorized access: Hackers can gain access to charging stations, back-end systems or user accounts to manipulate settings, replace firmware, or cause service interruptions.
• Malware & ransomware: Malicious software can be downloaded into EV charging systems to disrupt operations, encrypt data for ransom, or steal confidential or sensitive data.
• Network attacks: Because EV Chargers are distributed across a network, botnets can be deployed in bulk to look for security holes to exploit.
• Firmware and software vulnerabilities: Charging infrastructure and software can have vulnerabilities that can be leveraged to take over entire systems.

So, yeah, it’s complicated.  But we have to do our part, because EV charging cybersecurity is necessary to ensure data privacy for customers, operational continuity, grid reliability, and even national security.  Simply put, it?s critical for utility emergency preparedness.

The burning question, of course, is how can we optimize EV charging cybersecurity?  Well, according to this Forbes article, there are several best practices:

• Robust authentication: Implement multifactor authentication, and make sure all components utilized in the charging infrastructure support SAML with a centralized authentication system.
• Encryption and data protection: Deploy strong encryption protocols to secure data in transit and at rest, to prevent unauthorized access.
• Ensure software is always up to date: This is critical for plugging known vulnerabilities and defending against new and emerging threats.
• Network micro-segmentation: Isolate crucial infrastructure components from the internet and network to minimize the scope of an attack and prevent it from spreading.

There’s no doubt about it, EV charging cybersecurity is complex, multifaceted, and evolving.  The time to try and get ahead of it is now.