Because the inverters of many solar panel systems are easy to hack, major power outages. If malicious people turn off many panels at once switch off, there is suddenly too little electricity on the grid.
Many inverters do not meet set requirements. As a result, they can cause failures and allow access to other Internet-connected devices.
By connecting inverters to the internet, owners of solar panels monitor their energy output. But this is therefore not without risk. None of the inverters surveyed meet the standard for cyber security.
Hackers seem to have free rein as a result. They can not only disable solar panels remotely switch off solar panels or bombard them with ddos attacks, but also capture personal data via the inverters to capture personal data.
The regulator’s investigation showed that five of the nine inverters investigated can cause malfunctions. As examples the RFID radios and wireless tags to open doors with. As a result of interference, these do not work as well.
Also administrative requirements are not met. For instance manuals with the inverters and not all manufacturers mention their contact details. As a result, consumers with questions or problems more difficult to contact.
Manufacturers of the inverters are only required to comply with the comply with cyber security requirements. The regulators advises users for now to equip inverters with strong passwords and perform regular software updates.