Many electric vehicle charging stations become targets of hackers

As sales of electric vehicles soar around the world, charging stations are emerging as an attractive target for many hackers. “On the one hand, chargers are connected to the grid, and on the other hand, they are connected to the cell,” said Yoav Levy, CEO of Upstream Security, an Israeli automotive cybersecurity platform provider. user’s bowl”.

Attacks on charging stations around the world have raised concerns about security vulnerabilities. Three charging points on lsle of Wight in the UK have been hacked to display pornographic content on screens, according to a report last month by BBC News.

In February, electric vehicle charging stations along a main highway between Moscow and St.Petersburg in Russia were disabled by hackers protesting the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. The charger’s display is said to display vulgar insults aimed at Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Levy said attacks on charging stations are on the rise and will become more common in the coming months. Hackers can target chargers for malicious attacks, locking users out until they pay. Hackers can also break into the charger to avoid paying usage fees.

“We’ve started to record the first hacks, and I’m sure there are a lot of cases that have happened that haven’t been published,” Levy said. Cyberattacks are generally on the rise in the auto industry, especially as vehicles become more connected to drivers’ smartphones and other devices.

According to Upstream research, the majority of cyberattacks in the industry are carried out by “black hat” hackers, who illegally infiltrated systems from 2021. Until last year, the main attacks were mainly by “white hat” hackers who work with companies to find vulnerabilities in their systems. More than 80% of all cyberattacks worldwide in 2021 are carried out remotely by hackers, according to Upstream.

“Cybercriminals can make money from this,” Levy warns. They want to make money in the easiest way possible. If they could find a way to hack remotely, it would be catastrophic for large-scale incidents.”