Hidden devices found in Chinese-made inverters in the US, reports Reuters
Unexplained communication devices have been found inside some Chinese-made inverter devices, according to a Reuters report.
The news agency claims US energy officials are reassessing the risk posed by Chinese-made devices according to two unnamed sources. This follows discovery of rogue communication devices not listed in product documents in some Chinese solar inverters, according to Reuters. The number of devices investigated was also not disclosed. Reuters also claimed one source revealed undocumented communication devices had been found in some batteries from multiple Chinese suppliers.
The devices could provide additional, undocumented communication channels that could allow firewalls to be circumvented, according to Reuters.
pv magazine cannot verify this information.
The European Solar Manufacturing Council (ESMC), which represents the interests of European manufacturers described the report of hidden devices as “very concerning” and the association has urged the European Commission to develop and deploy a “toolbox” for inverter security.
Reuters’ revelation comes as discussion around cybersecurity and electricity infrastructure heats up in the European Union. SolarPower Europe released a new report on April 29 which identified smart inverters as a vulnerable gateway for cyberattacks. Written by cybersecurity services provider DNV, the report claims a targeted compromise of 3 GW of generation capacity could have significant implications for Europe’s power grid. The report claims that while EU legislation such as the Cyber Resilience Act, NIS2 Directive, and the Network Code for Cybersecurity (NCCS) “mitigate some of the risk”, more action is required to mitigate the cybersecurity risks.
A spokesperson from the Chinese embassy in Washington quoted by Reuters said: “We oppose the generalization of the concept of national security, distorting and smearing China’s infrastructure achievements.”
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