Cyber-physical System Security of Vehicle Charging Stations

Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE), also known as charging stations, are available for charging electric vehicles. EVSE contain computers that are connected to the Internet. These systems serve important control functions such as authorization, charging electric vehicles, and connecting to the local power grid. Charging stations authorize users and vehicles using RFID cards, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi. Moreover, there are many sensing, communication and computational components in EVSEs that are potentially vulnerable to cyber-security attacks. We have observed that these vulnerabilities can be potentially exploited by hackers to compromise the availability, integrity, and confidentiality of a network of charging stations, or even the power grid. Given the tremendous growth in the electric vehicle market in the next few years, it is important to design dependable charging stations. Designing trustworthy charging stations require a deeper understanding of the cyber-physical interactions within the charging station, as well as how the cyber and physical components affect each other. This paper presents a cyber-physical system approach to understanding the interaction of various components within smart charging equipment. Furthermore, the different types of vulnerabilities and attacks, and approaches to improve CPS security are also explained.