{"id":3383,"date":"2022-04-27T14:59:58","date_gmt":"2022-04-27T14:59:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itegriti.com\/kw022024\/?p=3383"},"modified":"2022-09-12T10:36:45","modified_gmt":"2022-09-12T10:36:45","slug":"cybersecurity-implications-of-the-electric-vehicle-influx-for-the-energy-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itegriti.com\/kw022024\/2022\/cybersecurity\/cybersecurity-implications-of-the-electric-vehicle-influx-for-the-energy-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"Cybersecurity Implications of the Electric Vehicle Influx for the Energy Industry"},"content":{"rendered":"

What if this were fifty years into the future and a nation-state attack brought down the power grid? Pretty scary \u2013 but you\u2019d still be able to get around. We\u2019d go agrarian for a while, huddle together with our neighbors, pack the bags and get out of town for a bit while the city figured out how to turn the lights back on. But what if all our cars were electric \u2013 and ran on that same grid? And, what if our electric vehicles contributed to the issue?<\/p>\n

First, let\u2019s examine the nascent EV industry and the national electricity situation that will inherit it. We\u2019ll look at some challenges, cyber and otherwise, to adopting this new technology, why a stable grid is so important (and what EVs can do to further that cause), and why anything connected to the nation\u2019s electricity supply can\u2019t be secured with any-old-cybersecurity measures.<\/p>\n

The Electric Vehicle Industry is Buzzing<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Last year, Tesla managed to sell<\/a> over 300,000 electric vehicles. Deloitte reports<\/a> that the jump was 15% from 2018 to 2019 alone, and forecasts an annual compound rate of 29 percent over the next ten years, with global sales estimated to clear $30 million by 2030. And, with recent shifts to more sustainable fuel sources, it might be harder in the coming years not to switch to a car with a charging station.<\/p>\n

After all, according to some \u201c[an EV] is cheaper to run than a traditional petrol vehicle, it is easier to maintain since it does not have too many movable parts, it possesses several benefits for the environment, some of which are no contribution towards air pollution, no carbon emissions, it uses eco-friendly materials and bio-based parts for the functioning of electric vehicles, [and] it also uses renewable energy sources to charge itself up<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

While comprising only 3 percent<\/a> of market share now, a report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance states that nearly six in ten of all global car sales will be from electric vehicles by 2040. We\u2019re going to need safe, reliable electric infrastructure to support that shift.<\/p>\n

EVs Hit Bumps on the Road<\/strong><\/h2>\n

So now that gas prices are at their highest and non-petroleum-based forms of transportation are finally ready to hit the market en masse<\/em> \u2013 the grid is under attack. It\u2019s out of the frying pan and into the fire as cars go from one highly attacked sector to another (think: Colonial pipeline). However, federal cybersecurity standards are in place to protect the energy sector, and with the right team of experts, power utilities can be ready to face the cyber challenges ahead. And judging by the recent attacks on the sector, they\u2019ll need to be.<\/p>\n

A substation at a power plant just south of San Jose faced literal fire in February of this year, marking<\/a> \u201cthe most serious attack on our power grid in history.\u201d In Ukraine, experts managed to shut down a Russian-launched malware attack on the grid<\/a> just hours before it was set to detonate (it bore a resemblance to a 2016 incident). And, analysts are already speculating<\/a> what would happen if such an attack were to happen to the US energy sector. According to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, it already might be<\/a>: \u201cThe United States faces a well-documented and increasing cyber threat from malicious actors seeking to disrupt the electricity Americans rely on to power our homes and businesses,\u201d she said in a statement. This could all negatively impact the stability – and viability \u2013 of EVs on the road.<\/p>\n

Besides cybersecurity dilemmas, electric vehicles are hitting a few more potholes<\/a>:<\/p>\n