Tag Archive for: electric

Hacker’s Latest Target: The Electric Vehicle

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Can cars be hacked? Thirty years ago, that question would’ve seemed nonsensical. Today, with computer chips embedded in every electric vehicle (EV) and charging stations storing user data, EV security isn’t guaranteed. All smart devices — from coffee pots to baby monitors — are hackable, and electric vehicle security has emerged as an unsavory but necessary topic in the broader conversation about EVs.

How to Hack an EV

Any car with a computer chip and remote connectivity is potentially hackable. How do threat actors bypass electric vehicle security measures? The leading way cars can be hacked is through connectivity features — like Wi-Fi, cellular networks and Bluetooth — allowing remote control and vehicle communication. Remotely starting a vehicle requires a wireless connection to a car’s critical safety features. If drivers can control a vehicle remotely, so can hackers.

Crucially, a vehicle’s Controller Area Network — which links critical components like brakes and engines — is sometimes accessible through a cellular or satellite connection. Wirelessly connecting all safety systems using the same software means a single exploit could affect countless vehicles simultaneously.

Researchers from cybersecurity firm Kaspersky looked at 69 third-party applications used to control cars and found that 58 percent use vehicle owners’ information without obtaining consent. Unofficial apps put vehicle owners at risk of data breaches that could lead to stolen credit card numbers, home addresses, or other personal information. They could also give hackers access to vehicle systems.

Software Vulnerabilities

Another way cars can be hacked is through software vulnerabilities. Electric vehicles use complex software systems to control braking, steering, acceleration and other crucial functions. Software vulnerabilities or weak security measures let threat actors take control of the vehicle’s functions.

EVs use telematics systems to provide remote services, collect data and monitor vehicle performance. If these systems are unsecured, hackers can exploit them to gain unauthorized access to a vehicle. Many countries currently have a software developer shortage. In South Korea, a…

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How electric vehicle chargers may pose risk of hacking

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As the global sales for electric vehicles (EVs) increase by 60% worldwide and one in every seven passenger cars purchased globally is an EV, there has been an increase in the risk of cyber attack, a report has said.
According to a report by cyber security company Check Point Research, increased consumer demand for EVs may mean unprecedented security challenges.
As the industry expands rapidly, “new EV charging stations are popping up in parking lots and on street corners, however, the new installations could prompt cyber attackers to target EV charging networks, the vehicles themselves, and/or the connected power grids,” the report said.

In India, EV sales hit 1.17 million units in the financial year 2023.
“Even here in India, where the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has received reports of vulnerabilities in products and applications related to electric vehicle charging stations,” the report noted.
How hackers may target EV charging stations
Researchers have already come across vulnerabilities that could allow cyber criminals to remotely shut down EV chargers or steal electricity.
Cyber attacks may exploit EV charging station weaknesses and cause power fluctuations and power outages. These attacks would suddenly alter the demands of EV charging networks, the report said.

Why EV chargers are at risk of hacking
The report said that the race-to-market in terms of connected devices has translated to cyber security measures that were ‘bolted on,’ but not ‘built in’. In simpler words, the cyber security aspect of electric vehicle chargers was largely an afterthought as EV chargers are interlinked with other infrastructure.
According to US-based National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), “the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) is supported by electronics, both for charging the vehicle and facilitating communications, so EVSE is susceptible to cyber security vulnerabilities and attacks.”
“EVSE also ties together two critical sectors — transportation and energy (specifically, the grid) — that have never been connected electronically before. This creates the potential for attacks that could have significant impacts in terms of money, business…

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Canberra’s electric buses UN cyber-certified: Chinese manufacturer

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Public transport-loving public servants in Canberra will soon be able to catch a ride on fully electric battery-powered buses after the ACT government revealed it has ordered 90 Chinese-made Yutong ‘E12’ vehicles as part of its non-fossil fuel fleet replacement.

The double-digit order for the E12s comes as part of the territory’s Zero-Emission Transition Plan for Transport Canberra, which aims to have combustible fuel buses off the road and fully replaced by 2040.

“These new buses will deliver the biggest change in technology for Canberra’s bus fleet in decades,” said ACT minister for transport and city services Chris Steel.

“The ACT is a leader in zero emissions transport with the largest fleet of electric buses delivered per capita in our nation. This will transition more than 20% of our bus fleet to zero-emission technology, with the rest of the fleet transitioning by 2040 or earlier.”

But to speed up the transition, the ACT needs to buy what’s readily available – rather than Australian-made – to avoid waiting in line behind much bigger states now seeking to lure bus and heavy vehicle assembly factories to their jurisdictions to both supply their fleets and create jobs.

Transport Canberra says it expects to receive the first of the 94 electric buses in late 2023, and that they will be progressively delivered through to 2026.

Local manufacturers are definitely being given a look-in, with Steel saying Transport Canberra negotiating with Custom Denning to procure four ‘Element’ battery electric buses including charging infrastructure.

Volvo Bus Australia is also gearing up to sell its locally-made Volvo BZL Electric bus more widely, with order books filling quickly as fleet operators dump combustible fuel models as fast as they can.

Electric buses, like any buses, are not cheap to buy new, but they are a lot cheaper to run and maintain.

That’s because electric motors have a far simpler design — and moving parts — than internal combustion engines and accordingly don’t guzzle fuel. This said, bus depots need to be substantially modified to recharge e-buses because they can draw a lot more current directly from the…

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EVERYONE in Cyber Security Should Understand Reversing (its EASY)

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