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TCS Research: Inventing to build sustainable futures
Highlights
- Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) is critical to national infrastructure and cyberattacks pose serious risks to power grid stability and consumer trust.
- The main weaknesses of current charging networks include fragmented threat modeling , weak endpoint protection, and the absence of a zero-trust framework.
- TCS roadmap for securing the EV charging ecosystem: AI-driven adaptive models, digital twins, blockchain-secured logs, zero-trust gateways.
- This approach ensures alignment to cybersecurity frameworks, including ISO 15118, IEC 62443, ISO 21434, UNECE WP.29, NIST best practices.
- Cybersecurity in electric vehicles must be reframed as a strategic differentiator, not a compliance cost.
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How safe are EV charging networks today?
The EV charging ecosystem is no longer peripheral to transportation; it has become a central pillar of sustainable mobility and energy transition. As millions of charging points are deployed globally, EVSE networks are now considered critical infrastructure. However, this rapid scaling introduces systemic cybersecurity risks.
Research in 2024 revealed that 6 out of 10 recorded EVSE attacks had the potential to impact millions of devices, ranging from chargers and mobile apps to the vehicles themselves. Nearly 35% of incidents could have disrupted thousands more. These are not hypothetical scenarios; they are real evidence of a growing battleground where nation-state actors, organized cybercriminals, and opportunistic attackers converge.
This paper addresses the urgent need to shift from a reactive to a proactive cybersecurity posture. It explores gaps in current approaches, proposes innovation-driven strategies, and highlights how AI, zero-trust frameworks, and digital twins can help build resilient, secure, and future-proof EV ecosystems.
Electrification is reshaping energy infrastructure
The electrification of transport is reshaping the very fabric of energy infrastructure. By 2030, global deployment of millions of charging points will transform the way energy flows between vehicles, power grids, and consumers. However, this transformation is shadowed by the rise in sophisticated cyberattacks.
The EVSE ecosystem is uniquely vulnerable because it integrates hardware, firmware, communication protocols, cloud platforms, and grid interfaces. A compromise at any layer can trigger cascading effects, destabilizing entire networks. Attackers are already exploiting protocol manipulation for unauthorized billing, launching ransomware campaigns against EVSE operators, and tampering with firmware to introduce safety hazards.
This white paper outlines:
- The systemic threat landscape facing EVSE networks
- Critical gaps in current cybersecurity implementations
- A roadmap of innovations, including AI-driven detection, zero-trust V2G, blockchain, and digital twins
- Alignment with international standards (ISO 15118, IEC 62443, ISO 21434, UNECE WP.29)
The goal is to demonstrate that cybersecurity, when treated as a strategic differentiator rather than a compliance checkbox, can not only deliver resilience but also unlock competitive advantage.
EV public and private charging network threat landscape
EV adoption is accelerating, driven by decarbonization policies, and battery technology breakthroughs. Both public and private charging networks are expanding rapidly, integrating advanced protocols such as OCPP and ISO 15118, and enabling Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) bidirectional flows. But this evolution brings a widening attack surface.
Emerging threats include:
- Attacks on charging stations to disrupt services or demand ransom
- Protocol manipulation that leads to unauthorized transactions or billing fraud
- Potential grid instability caused by orchestrated cyberattacks on charging networks
A coordinated campaign could combine market manipulation with physical grid destabilization, making EV infrastructure a prime target for nation-state adversaries.
40% of deployed EV chargers lack essential protections, making EVSE the convergence point of automotive and energy infrastructure risks.
The implication is clear: EVSE security is not just a technical concern; it is a matter of national resilience.
Strong standards fail without proper implementation
Despite strong frameworks such as ISO 15118, IEC 62443, and ISO 21434, significant implementation gaps continue to leave EVSE vulnerable.
Systemic weaknesses include:
- Fragmented threat modeling, relying on static, and siloed assessments
- Limited endpoint protection, with few devices enforcing secure boot or runtime attestation
- Absence of zero-trust V2G authentication
- Minimal real-time anomaly detection
- Poor supply chain visibility across hardware, firmware, and software
Many current EV chargers use deprecated cryptographic algorithms, while many fail to validate certificates. Weak internet security and poor authentication practices are still common, exposing infrastructure to compromise.
59% of EVSE cyberattacks in 2024 had potential to affect millions of devices.
Barriers to PQC migration
Cybersecurity should not be seen merely as a cost, but as an enabler of differentiation. The EVSE ecosystem is ripe for innovation and patentable solutions:
- AI-Driven Adaptive Threat Modeling: Continuously learns from telemetry across vehicles, chargers, and grids.
- Zero-Trust V2G Gateways: Secure cryptographic handshakes for every transaction.
- Digital Twin Simulations: Proactive, virtual replicas to test resilience against emerging threats.
- Blockchain Transaction Logs: Immutable records maintain billing integrity and forensic auditability.
- Embedded Secure Middleware: Lightweight SDKs provide secure-by-design charging systems.
These innovations reinforce resilience while creating intellectual property that can serve as competitive moats.
Cybersecurity is no longer a cost; it is a competitive advantage in the EV era.
EVSE standards and compliance
Multiple frameworks are shaping EVSE cybersecurity:
- ISO 15118: Plug and charge with TLS/PKI
- IEC 62443: Industrial control security for EVSE
- ISO 21434: Automotive cybersecurity risk management
- UNECE WP.29: Mandatory vehicle cybersecurity requirements
- NIST EV XFC Profile: Fast-charging infrastructure best practices
The challenge lies in enforcement. Many deployments claim compliance but lack operational rigor. Simply checking boxes creates a false sense of security while leaving critical vulnerabilities unaddressed.
A unified “certification-as-a-service” model could help operators dynamically adapt to evolving threats while ensuring consistent implementation.
Roadmap for resilience
Securing the EV charging ecosystem requires coordinated, multi-stakeholder engagement.
Recommendations:
- Adopt a Cybersecurity Maturity Model with adaptive, telemetry-fed assessments.
- Integrate AI-powered anomaly detection for real-time defence.
- Implement Zero-Trust architectures across devices, data, and transactions.
- Leverage Digital Twins to simulate cyber-physical attacks.
- Invest in patent-backed intellectual property to establish benchmarks.
- Collaborate across OEMs, utilities, regulators, and cybersecurity vendors.
The single biggest factor in resilience is sharing threat intelligence among OEMs, utilities, and charging operators.
Trust is the cornerstone of EV adoption
The EV charging ecosystem stands at a critical juncture. As electrification accelerates, cybersecurity is no longer optional — it is an imperative. Millions of assets are already exposed, with attacks capable of disrupting brand reputation, customer safety, compliance, and even grid stability.
The convergence of energy, mobility, and digital infrastructure demands a new paradigm: one in which AI-driven threat modeling, zero-trust V2G frameworks, blockchain-secured logs, and digital twin simulations form the backbone of trust.
By embracing these measures, enterprises can transform cybersecurity from a compliance obligation into a competitive advantage, securing leadership in sustainable, reliable, and universally accessible electrification.