Securing the Future of EV Charging Infrastructure
The rapid expansion of Electric Vehicle (EV) adoption necessitates robust and secure charging infrastructure. The CyberTWIN-EV project, a £300,000 collaborative R&D initiative funded by Innovate UK under the “Building a Secure and Resilient World” (BSRW) programme, is tackling this critical challenge head-on.
The project, which emerged from the “Digital Twins and Cyber Resilience in Energy Networks” competition, aims to develop advanced simulation tools and cybersecurity assessment frameworks using digital twins specifically for EV charging infrastructure.
CyberTWIN-EV is designed to enable the design, testing, and validation of cyber-secure energy systems. By focusing on data interoperability, real-time monitoring, and cyber threat response, the initiative aims to significantly improve the cyber resilience of the UK’s energy networks.
Integrating Digital Twins and Cybersecurity Assessment
At the core of the CyberTWIN-EV initiative is the integration of two powerful elements: CyberAutonomy’s energy digital twin platform and Secure Elements’ CRISKLE cybersecurity suite. This combination allows the consortium to simulate, model, and assess vulnerabilities within complex EV-grid interactions.
The project models the EVSE – Grid – Vehicle system, taking into account potential vulnerabilities in Electric Charging Points and weaknesses within communication protocols like OCPP/UDP/TLS. Threat modelling, anomaly detection, and risk assessment are applied across the vehicle, grid, and Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) interfaces.
The project introduces four core innovations to achieve these goals:
1. EV and Grid Digital Twin: Used specifically for behavior simulation.
2. CRISKLE-powered threat and cybersecurity risk assessment (TARA).
3. Vehicle to Grid (V2G) Interaction Modelling: This innovation models V2G (and vice versa) interactions to understand Predicted Maintenance and Dynamic Load Management behavior, particularly in the context of ongoing cyber-attacks like Denial of Service (DOS) and Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks within the EV-Grid system.
4. Vehicle and Grid based Intrusion Detection System (IDS): Designed to detect simulated cyberattacks.
Key Outcomes for Energy Providers and the Grid
The application of digital twins allows for the simulation of complex cyberattack scenarios that are often impractical to recreate physically. This approach yields several crucial outcomes:
- Enhanced Grid Cybersecurity: The project provides increased resilience of EV charging infrastructure and grid systems against specific cyber threats, such as MitM and DoS attacks.
- Real-time Intrusion Detection: A key development is the deployment of a vehicle digital twin-based IDS. This system identifies anomalies and logs them directly to the CRISKLE’s Mobility Security Operations Centre (MSoC). IDS log alerts are communicated via MQTT/HTTPS to the MSOC, where critical
- EV/Energy Grid assets are evaluated using standards like ISO 21434 and ISO 15118.
Interoperable, Data-Driven Insights: The project generates high-quality, interoperable data outputs that energy providers can utilize to improve their grid operations and response strategies. - Commercialisation and Collaboration: CyberTWIN-EV is designed to lead to commercially viable cybersecurity solutions for EV providers and Energy/Grid Networks through increased collaboration between SMEs and academia.
Meet the Consortium
The project relies on specialized expertise across several domains:
- Consortium Member
- Role and Expertise
Secure Elements (Consortium Lead)
An automotive cybersecurity SME focused on securing modern mobility systems. They provide the CRISKLE Workspace (an Integrated Product Security Platform) which includes TARA & HARA, Vulnerability Management & SBOMs, and Continuous Monitoring through the MSOC. They ensure compliance with standards like ISO/SAE 21434 and UNECE R155.
CyberAutonomy
An SME responsible for providing the Digital Twin capability.
Robert Gordon University (RGU)
Provides Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) based development for the EV-Grid as a System Model and conducts project evaluation.
AESIN
Facilitates key industry and regulatory engagement, supported by its member-driven wider Techwork’s community, ensuring the project’s real-world relevance, dissemination, and application.
The CyberTWIN-EV project is a vital step toward ensuring Secure Mobility by focusing on the Automotive Cybersecurity Assessment of Energy Grids using Digital Twins for EV Application.
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For further inquiries, please reach out to Mr. Saket Mohan, Founder & CEO, Secure Elements Pvt. Ltd. / Secure Elements Ltd
