The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) warned that hidden cellular radios have been found in some foreign-made solar inverters and batteries.
According to Reuters, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, issued a warning about the discovery of hidden cellular radios in some foreign-made solar inverters and batteries. These devices are used in solar-powered highway infrastructure.
A four-page security notice cited by Reuters shows that U.S. officials stated that solar-powered highway infrastructure, including charging stations, roadside weather stations, and traffic cameras, should be scanned for "rogue devices," such as radios, hidden inside batteries and inverters. However, the report did not provide specific details about these radios or solar devices.
Uri Sadot, general manager of SolarDefend, a company specializing in solar cybersecurity, told pv magazine that the internal notice issued by the Department of Transportation on August 20th still did not specify which devices were suspected or whether any issues had actually been found. He believes this is an issue of "high public concern" and should not be classified as confidential.
He noted that original equipment manufacturers don't need these rogue devices to remotely control large amounts of PV capacity, as residential and small commercial inverters already have remote maintenance capabilities over the internet. However, regulatory action in the US and Europe has been minimal, with only a few countries or regions, such as Lithuania, Iran, China, and Taiwan, taking action.
At the end of May, SolarPower Europe called on the EU to implement strict cybersecurity regulations for solar infrastructure after unregistered components were found in energy equipment imported from Denmark.
This week, the Czech National Cyber and Information Security Agency (NÚKIB) identified Chinese PV inverters as a potential security threat to small power plants. The agency cited risks including data protection issues and the possibility of remote control in extreme cases, as well as cybersecurity risks through data collection and misuse, malicious applications, or firmware updates.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) warned that hidden cellular radios have been found in some foreign-made solar inverters and batteries.
According to Reuters, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, issued a warning about the discovery of hidden cellular radios in some foreign-made solar inverters and batteries. These devices are used in solar-powered highway infrastructure.
A four-page security notice cited by Reuters shows that U.S. officials stated that solar-powered highway infrastructure, including charging stations, roadside weather stations, and traffic cameras, should be scanned for "rogue devices," such as radios, hidden inside batteries and inverters. However, the report did not provide specific details about these radios or solar devices.
Uri Sadot, general manager of SolarDefend, a company specializing in solar cybersecurity, told pv magazine that the internal notice issued by the Department of Transportation on August 20th still did not specify which devices were suspected or whether any issues had actually been found. He believes this is an issue of "high public concern" and should not be classified as confidential.
He noted that original equipment manufacturers don't need these rogue devices to remotely control large amounts of PV capacity, as residential and small commercial inverters already have remote maintenance capabilities over the internet. However, regulatory action in the US and Europe has been minimal, with only a few countries or regions, such as Lithuania, Iran, China, and Taiwan, taking action.
At the end of May, SolarPower Europe called on the EU to implement strict cybersecurity regulations for solar infrastructure after unregistered components were found in energy equipment imported from Denmark.
This week, the Czech National Cyber and Information Security Agency (NÚKIB) identified Chinese PV inverters as a potential security threat to small power plants. The agency cited risks including data protection issues and the possibility of remote control in extreme cases, as well as cybersecurity risks through data collection and misuse, malicious applications, or firmware updates.
