As electric vehicle charging stations become increasingly interconnected with smart grid infrastructure, their integration creates significant cybersecurity risks that threaten both vehicle charging networks and broader power system stability. Existing intrusion detection systems for EVCSs typically rely on single-layer monitoring approaches, leaving critical gaps in protection against sophisticated attacks that target both network communications and device-level operations simultaneously.
Researchers have developed a comprehensive hybrid intrusion detection system that addresses these vulnerabilities by implementing dual-layer protection. The system combines network-based intrusion detection (NIDS) to monitor data traffic flows with host-based intrusion detection (HIDS) to analyze activities at individual charging station devices. This architecture enables simultaneous visibility into both network-level threats and localized device compromises, providing more complete threat coverage than previous methods.
The hybrid system was evaluated against multiple attack vectors commonly targeting EVCS ecosystems, including false data injection attacks that could manipulate charging behavior or grid signals, reconnaissance activities probing system vulnerabilities, denial-of-service attacks designed to disrupt service availability, backdoor access attempts, and cryptojacking schemes that exploit computing resources. Testing on the recent CICEVSE2024 dataset demonstrated exceptional detection performance, with the network layer achieving 99.99% accuracy in identifying network-based threats and the host layer reaching 83.47% accuracy in detecting device-level compromises.
The substantial performance improvement over single-layer detection approaches highlights the importance of comprehensive monitoring strategies for critical infrastructure. As utilities continue deploying distributed EVCS networks as demand response and grid services assets, implementing robust cybersecurity measures becomes essential. This dual-layer detection methodology provides a practical framework for protecting charging infrastructure while maintaining reliable grid operations, supporting the continued growth of electrified transportation systems without compromising power system security.
