Security News > 2022 > January > Secure boot for UK electric car chargers isn't mandatory until 2023 – but why the delay?

Electric car chargers will have to include secure boot and automatic network disconnection if unsigned software runs on the smart devices - but only from 2023, the British government has said.

New security requirements for smart chargers won't be enforced until the last day of this year, according to government papers reviewed by The Register.

Schedule 1 of the regulations sets out the cybersecurity requirements new car chargers will have to meet and there's little to complain about there: secure boot; only running signed firmware; automatic checks for software updates; and a ban on "Hard-coded security credentials."

There's a hole in the smart charger regulations with the 12-month grace period.

Current electric car chargers aren't required to comply with mainstream cybersecurity standards.

Clearly UK.gov reckons that's an acceptable trade-off to bridge the gulf between 2030's planned ban on new conventional cars and the state of electric car infrastructure today - whether properly secured or not.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2022/01/11/electric_car_charging_security_uk/