- Insecure solar systems allow cybercriminals to steal data and access to rescue
- Millions of solar investors remain vulnerable to severe cybersecurity threats
- Forescout – Vedere discovers failures that allow attackers to take total control over solar systems
The growing use of solar energy has exposed critical vulnerabilities of cyber security in investors, cloud computer services and monitoring platforms, creating an insecure ecosystem where computer pirates can manipulate energy production, interrupt energy networks and steal sensitive data, raising serious risks to global energy infrastructure, experts have warned.
A study by Foresout: Vedere Labs identified 46 new vulnerabilities in three main manufacturers of solar investors, including Sungrow, Growatt and SMA. The previous findings showed that 80% of the informed vulnerabilities were high or criticism in gravity, and some reached the highest CVSS scores.
In the last three years, an average of 10 new vulnerabilities have been revealed annually, with 32% with a CVSS score of 9.8 or 10, indicating that attackers could completely compromise the affected systems.
Millions of solar energy systems face security risks
Many solar investors are connected directly to the Internet, making them easy targets of cybercriminals. Attackers can exploit obsolete firmware, weak authentication mechanisms and unimailed data transmissions to gain control.
The exposed APIs allow computer pirates to list user accounts, restore credentials (ideally stored in password administrators) to predetermined values and manipulate the investor configuration, which leads to energy interruptions.
In addition, the references of insecure objects and the vulnerabilities of command sequences between sites (XSS) could expose emails of users, physical addresses and energy consumption data, violating privacy regulations such as GDPR.
Beyond the instability of the network, committed investors create greater risks, including data theft, financial manipulation and intelligent kidnapping of the household: some vulnerabilities allow attackers to take control of electric vehicle loaders and smart plugs.
Cybercriminals could also alter the investor configuration to influence energy prices or demand rescue payments to restore system functionality. As a result, the report recommends that manufacturers must prioritize patches, adopt safe coding practices and perform regular penetration tests.
The implementation of Web Application Firewalls (WAF) and adherence to cybersecurity frames such as Nist IR 8259 could help mitigate risks.
Regulators are also urged to classify solar investors as critical infrastructure and enforce security standards such as ETSI in 303 645 to guarantee compliance with best practices.
For owners and operators of the Solar System, obtaining facilities requires isolating solar devices in separate networks, allowing security monitoring and following the guidelines of organizations such as the United States Department of Energy to reduce the risks.
Best antivirus installation The software adds an additional layer of defense against threats, while implementing the best end point protection Solutions also safeguard devices connected from cyber attacks aimed at solar infrastructure.
