EV Chargers Emerge as Targets for Hackers and Copper Hunters

Editor's Note: Here at The Auto Channel we are wondering how long will it take before just installed chargers are vandalized for their copper and other goodies within or just to be naughty? What good is a charger that is broken?.

Washington DC May 6, 2022; The AIADA online reported that as electric vehicle sales pick up steam worldwide, EV charging stations are emerging as an enticing target for hackers. Automotive News reports chargers provide a new opportunity for "hackers looking for ways to make money," warns Yoav Levy, CEO of Upstream Security, an Israeli provider of automotive cybersecurity platforms.

"On one hand, chargers are connected to the grid, and on the other hand, they're connected to your car," Levy said. High-profile incidents of hacked charging stations around the world have spotlighted the vulnerabilities.

Three charging points on the Isle of Wight in England were hacked to show pornography on their screens, according to BBC News. In February, EV charging stations along a major highway between Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia were disabled by hackers protesting the country's invasion of Ukraine. The chargers' screens reportedly displayed a vulgar insult directed at Russian President Vladimir Putin, among other pro-Ukraine and anti-Russia messages.

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