EV Plug-and-Charge Mutual Authentication Using Certificate Chains
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional plug-and-charge (PnC) electric vehicle charging systems lack mutual authentication, allowing unauthorized access and potential energy theft, as the charging station does not verify the identity of the electric vehicle, making them vulnerable to attacks like on-path and spoofing attacks.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a mutual authentication method between the electric vehicle (EV) and the charging station (CS) using certificate chains and symmetric key encryption, where both parties verify each other's certificates and generate a shared key for secure communication, enhancing the security of the message exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the charging station does not verify the identity of the EV, then the charging process is simpler and faster, but the system becomes vulnerable to unauthorized access and energy theft
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary authentication actions before the charging process begins. The EV and charging station perform mutual certificate verification and establish a secure TLS connection in advance, ensuring that only authorized vehicles can access charging services. This preliminary security check prevents unauthorized access while maintaining a smooth charging process.
2Reliability
If mutual authentication is implemented between EV and charging station, then security against attacks is improved, but the authentication process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses certificate authorities (CAs) as intermediaries to enable mutual authentication. Both the EV and charging station possess certificates issued by trusted CAs, allowing them to verify each other's identities through these intermediary credentials. This approach provides strong security without requiring direct complex verification mechanisms between the EV and charging station.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual or simple physical authentication mechanisms with cryptographic certificate-based authentication. By using digital certificates and TLS protocols, the system achieves robust security automatically through mathematical verification rather than mechanical or manual processes, reducing operational complexity despite the advanced cryptography involved.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If certificate verification is performed by both EV and charging station, then protection against spoofing attacks is enhanced, but the message exchange process takes longer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs certificate verification as a preliminary action during the initial connection phase before the actual charging process begins. By completing the mutual authentication and TLS handshake in advance, the system ensures protection against spoofing attacks while minimizing the time impact on the subsequent charging operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A mutual authentication method allows an electric vehicle (EV) to perform plug-and-charge (PnC) charging through communication with a charging station (CS) device. The mutual authentication method includes: accepting an SECC certificate chain including an SECC certificate and at least one charging device-based sub-certificate used for generation of the SECC certificate; verifying the SECC certificate by using the at least one charging device-based sub-certificate and a first root certificate; transmitting a verification result of the SECC certificate to the CS device, and providing the CS device with an EV certificate chain including an EV certificate for the EV and at least one EV-based sub-certificate used for generation of the EV certificate; accepting a verification result of the EV certificate from the CS device and generating a symmetric key; and transmitting or receiving an encrypted message to or from the CS device by using the symmetric key.