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Hackers Could Abuse Electric Car Chargers To Cripple the Grid, Researchers Say

Posted by samzenpus on from the everybody-panic dept.

alphadogg writes "Hackers could use vulnerable charging stations to prevent the charging of electric vehicles in a certain area, or possibly even use the vulnerabilities to cripple parts of the electricity grid, a security researcher said during the Hack in the Box conference in Amsterdam on Thursday. While electric cars and EV charging systems are still in their infancy, they could become a more common way to travel within the next 10 years. If that happens, it is important that the charging systems popping up in cities around the world are secure in order to prevent attackers from accessing and tempering with them, said Ofer Shezaf, of HP ArcSight. At the moment, they are not secure at all, he said."

13 of 126 comments (clear)

  1. Fuses... by Joce640k · · Score: 4, Funny

    I've just applied for a patent on a device I call a "fuse". You can put arrays of them in a thing I call a "fuse box". They prevent too much current from passing along a wire.

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    No sig today...
    1. Re:Fuses... by Neil+Boekend · · Score: 4, Funny

      Is it web-enabled, cloud and smart? No? Then you ain't got nothing these days.

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      Well, I might have a way, but it only works on a semi spherical planet in a vacuum.
    2. Re:Fuses... by Joce640k · · Score: 4, Funny

      Is it web-enabled, cloud and smart? No? Then you ain't got nothing these days.

      I've got a contact in Shenzhen who promises me they can provide a cloud-enabled controller for my fuse boxes at very good price.

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      No sig today...
    3. Re:Fuses... by isorox · · Score: 4, Funny

      I've just applied for a patent on a device I call a "fuse". You can put arrays of them in a thing I call a "fuse box". They prevent too much current from passing along a wire.

      Can you sell them to the crew of the Enterprise? The number of exploding consoles they have...

    4. Re:Fuses... by Kilo+Kilo · · Score: 4, Funny

      How big are these "fuses"? Can a child choke on them? Yes? Well then, we're going to need to strictly regulate the sale and use of "fuses." And these "fuse boxes" are an important target for terrorists, so this will obviously fall under the DHS.

      What's that? No, I actually haven't seen a "fuse" in person, but I understand they have something to do with computers and the "world wide web."

    5. Re:Fuses... by king+neckbeard · · Score: 4, Funny

      Unfortunately, the Treaty of Algeron prohibits the Federation from researching certain technology, including cloaking devices and fuses.

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      This is my signature. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
    6. Re:Fuses... by OzPeter · · Score: 4, Funny

      Unfortunately, the Treaty of Algeron prohibits the Federation from researching certain technology, including cloaking devices and fuses.

      More disclosure is needed here .. that treaty also forbids seat belts.

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      I am Slashdot. Are you Slashdot as well?
    7. Re:Fuses... by LoRdTAW · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Seriously. If this clown thinks that switching on multiple charging stations at once can cripple a grid he needs a course in basic electric system installation. This guy is just hyping up a non existent problem and turning it into "OMG terrorist hackers will cripple our country!" FUD. Its silly attention seeking.

      Example:
      If you had 10 chargers in a parking lot, each charger would have its own internal circuit breaker and the entire branch circuit that powers them all also must have a circuit breaker. Lets say the branch circuit can only support a maximum of 5 chargers at full power or a mix of low/high charge levels for all 10. If some "hacker" turned them all on at once guess what happens? The branch circuit breaker trips, problem solved. Even if there were 100 chargers, a breaker will trip and again problem solved.

    8. Re:Fuses... by dj245 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Unfortunately, the Treaty of Algeron prohibits the Federation from researching certain technology, including cloaking devices and fuses.

      More disclosure is needed here .. that treaty also forbids seat belts.

      Seat Belts are a hazard when you need to get away from a console which will explode imminently.

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      Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress at this period in history.
  2. Stop the FUD by wbr1 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    A hacker could just as concievably shut down the computer or payment system in a traditional gas station rendering it useless. Or disrupt the credit authentication system. Or a terrorist could bomb them.
    Just because its an EV does not make it or its infrastructure any more or less succeptible to an attack of some kind. To say otherwise just discourages people from looking at it as an alternative and is FUD.

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    Silence is a state of mime.
    1. Re:Stop the FUD by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Apparently there's adequate security on computers at gas stations and credit card companies. The point is that EV charging points do not have adequate protection, making them an obvious target. The same concern was voiced about smart meters / smart appliances, and experts claim that by switching a great many high power equipment (EV chargers, dryers, solar panel inverters) on and off in a certain coordinated way, one can seriously mess up the grid.

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      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
  3. How appropriate by dkleinsc · · Score: 5, Interesting

    A few days ago, Bruce Schneier launched the Sixth Movie Plot Contest, with the goal of creating catastrophic but plausible things that "cyberwarriors" and evil hackers could do to destroy America. There are some fascinating ones, that's for sure, but the real point is that if you try to defend against everything that could happen, you'll waste most of your efforts.

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    I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
  4. DOS on electric meters? by John+Jorsett · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This brings to mind something else I've been wondering lately. Are the new electric meters that are going in capable of disconnecting service by remote command? If so, I'd think that would be an even jucier target for hacker disruption.