Electric vehicle (EV) drivers are likely to become targets for cyber criminals if new proposals that mandate the installation of credit card readers at EV charging stations are approved, according to a new security study published today.
The study – authored by cybersecurity experts April Wright and Jayson Street in partnership with the Digital Citizens Alliance – analyzes proposals in several U.S. states and concludes that requirements for credit card readers at public EV charging stations could expose drivers to increased risk of fraud, cybercrime and identity theft.
If regulatory requirements inadvertently introduce payment security vulnerabilities, the successful rollout of EV chargers would be harmed at a critical juncture in the state of the industry.
Magnetic Stripe Readers and EMV Chip readers are the most common payment methods used today and service a vital means for consumers to
have a variety of payment options. However, until the day comes when Magnetic Stripe Readers are discontinued, POS devices that use Magnetic
Swipe Readers and EMV Chip readers will continue to be vulnerable to attacks.
The remote, unmonitored, unattended nature of EV charger deployments make them an unacceptable risk to integrate Magnetic Swipe Readers and EMV Chip readers.
Simply put, it can be expected that EV chargers would surpass gas pumps as the most inviting target for skimmer and shimmer fraud.
The full study can be downloaded here: “Charging in the Crosshairs: How EV Drivers Could Become Cyber Criminals’ New Target”