Hackers could target electric vehicle chargers: 'They're a weapon that can be used against our power grid'

While attempts so far have been relatively innocuous, cybersecurity experts say hackers targeting electric vehicle chargers could become more of a threat, Slate reported.

"In recent years, security researchers and white-hat hackers have identified sprawling vulnerabilities in internet-connected home and public charging hardware that could expose customer data, compromise Wi-Fi networks, and, in a worst-case scenario, bring down power grids," Slate's report stated.

Device manufacturers and even the Biden administration are scrambling to get ahead of the problem.

Vulnerabilities in charger security are easy for hackers to exploit. Eventually, hackers may be able to access vehicle data or consumers’ credit card information. They could also cause the chargers to stop or start charging at will.

“It’s not about your charger, it’s about everyone’s charger at the same time,” said Ken Munro, a co-founder of Pen Test Partners.“We’ve inadvertently created a weapon that nation-states can use against our power grid."

“It’s the responsibility of the companies offering these services to make sure they are secure,” said Jacob Hoffman-Andrews, senior staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights nonprofit. “To some degree you have to trust the device you’re plugging into.”

Read the full report at Slate.