Denmark's Officials Scramble to Plug Security Gap in China-made Electric Buses
Authorities from Denmark are actively investigating ways to shut an apparent protection gap in numerous Chinese-made electric buses that enables them to be remotely deactivated.
Investigation Prompted by Findings in Neighboring Country
This inquiry comes after public transit officials in Norway, where these electric buses are also operational, discovered that the Chinese supplier had online connectivity for system upgrades and troubleshooting to the transport management units – which might be misused to disrupt transit while in transit.
“These trials uncovered vulnerabilities that we are now taking measures against,” stated the chief executive of the transit agency. “Government and municipal authorities have been notified and must help with additional measures at a countrywide scale.”
Proposed Solution and Its Limitations
Their analysis determined that distant shutdown could be blocked by extracting the buses’ connectivity cards, but they have not done this because it would also cut off the bus from other systems.
- Stricter security requirements for new acquisitions
- Acting before the arrival of newer models of buses
- Getting ready for vehicles that could be tighter connected and tougher to protect
Scale of the Problem in Denmark
The biggest Danish public transport company runs nearly 470 China-made e-buses, with over 260 of these made by Yutong.
“E-buses – similar to electric cars – can be shut down remotely if their operating programs have internet connectivity,” noted a senior operations executive. “It isn't a China-made vehicle problem. It is a problem for all types of vehicles and systems with China-produced components built in.”
Official Evaluation and Warnings
Government bodies for civil protection and crisis response indicated that it was not aware of any actual occurrences in which electric buses had been shut down, but advised that the vehicles were equipped with “secondary systems with web connection and detection devices (cameras, microphones, location tracking) that can create security gaps which could be exploited to disrupt bus operations”.
Producer Response and Data Security
Yutong stated it “strictly complies with applicable laws and sector requirements” and that transport data in the EU were stored at a server facility in Frankfurt.
“These records is used solely for vehicle-related maintenance, enhancement and betterment to meet post-purchase service demands,” commented a official speaker. “This information is safeguarded with storage encryption and security protocols. No one is authorized to see this data without client approval.”
Political Response and Worries
An elected official stated that Denmark has been “way too slow” when it came to dependency regarding Chinese companies.
“This is a significant concern. We ought not be so dependent on a country that has principles and beliefs so unlike Denmark,” he added. During a period when Denmark was working to boost its strength amid accusations of hybrid attacks by Russia, “it's not particularly strong to be totally dependent on China”.
The transport ministry in Norway declined to comment on the matter.