Cyber threat to electric vehicle charging points could put the brakes on adoption

Cyber threat to electric vehicle charging points could put the brakes on adoption

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), a leading provider of cybersecurity solutions globally, highlights the cyber threats that come with electric vehicle (EV) charging points and warns they may delay the wider adoption of EVs.

Governments around the world are pushing the move to greener technologies to combat climate change and reduce their reliance on hydrocarbons. According to Arthur D Little report, the UAE has one of the biggest charging-station-to-vehicle-ratios in the world with nearly 325 charging stations. However, while automotive companies are ramping up production of new electric vehicles, the industry is not doing enough to deal with cybersecurity concerns around, what are essentially, IoT devices.

When users charge their vehicles, there is also a data connection between the vehicle and the EV hub. Charging stations are connected to the internet and, like any other IoT device, are vulnerable to the actions of cybercriminals. If a threat actor can gain access to a charging hub this could have serious consequences including:

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Risk to User Safety: Theoretically, via an EV charging point, a hacker could access a vehicle’s engine management system and either compromise safety, performance or disable the vehicle altogether. Imagine if the vehicle in question were an