Cyber-Physical Security for EV Charging Infrastructure

Speaker: Dr. Benny J. Varghese
Host: Dr. Milos Manic
Date: January 19, 2024 | Noon–1 p.m.
Location: Engineering East Hall, Room E1232

Abstract: With a rise in Electric Vehicle (EV) adoption, we are starting to see a rise in the number of EV charging stations being installed. These include high power DC chargers and slower AC chargers as well. With an expanding charging network of connected systems, it is important to understand the cyber-physical threats and appropriate mitigation strategies. In this talk, Dr. Varghese explains the basics of EV charging systems along with an overview of current research at Idaho National Laboratory addressing the issues of cyber-physical security.

Bio: Dr. Benny Varghese is a research engineer at the Idaho National Laboratory working on EV Charging Infrastructure. He leads the Diagnostics Taskforce within the ChargeX Consortium, funded by the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation to improve the EV charging experience. In his current role, he is working to improve the reliability of public DC fast charging infrastructure and remove roadblocks to EV adoption. His areas of expertise include testing, design, and development of EV charging infrastructure. Areas of research interest include cyber-physical security of chargers and anomaly detection. Benny has a PhD from Utah State University, where he developed static and dynamic wireless charging solutions for electric vehicles.