EV charging stations can be hacked like any other technology, prone to cyber attacks: Nitin Gadkari

“Electric vehicle charging stations are also susceptible to cyber attacks and cyber security incidents like any other technological application,”  nitin gadkari, MORTH

How safe is the EV charging infrastructure in the country?

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has issued alerts and vulnerability notes suggesting remedial measures for vulnerabilities in products and applications related to Electric Vehicle Charging stations that have come to light recently. Countermeasures have been advised to protect computers and networks.

– MORTH, in Lok Sabha

Currently, the EV infrastructure is dependent on Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) which has been rolled out by Open Charge Alliance (OCA), an alliance of global public and private EV infrastructure bodies. Jio-BP, which is a major contributor to the Indian EV-supporting infrastructure ecosystem, has assured that the protocols that have been enforced are sufficient to counter any threat.

The current generation of protocols, OCPP 1.6-J security release, claims to have solved multiple loopholes in the system. Furthermore, OCPP 2.0 release which is in the pipeline, will improve security in the future. However, it must be noted that even countries with mature EV infrastructure have faced cyber security threats. 

The government has also assured that the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) which is responsible to track cyber security incidents in India has been alerted about recent security threat developments.

Jio-BP has rolled out a wide network of EV charging and battery swapping stations across the country and has partnered with Citroën India, Mahindra and Mahindra, and MG Motors for providing charging solutions. The alliance claims to have deployed the best-in-class design and systems with maximum security controls. The company has also brought in trusted cybersecurity partners and has rolled out advanced protection systems to identify and respond to cybersecurity threats.