Kolkata: Battery operated e-rickshaws can be stopped remotely. And there are few applications capable of doing this. Now the center ordered to remove these 3 applications. According to government sources, these apps can connect with the battery management system or BMS of some e-rickshaws using Bluetooth. And then the vehicle’s power supply can be turned off. And this is how e-rickshaws were being stopped in the middle of the road. As soon as this complaint came up, action was taken quickly.
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On the sidelines of the CII Cyber Security Conference on Friday, Union Information Technology Secretary S Krishnan said that steps have been taken to remove the relevant apps from the App Store after the matter came to the attention of the government. Later, government sources said, the order was issued against three apps namely BAT-BMS, Lossigy and Epoch-i-ion.
After this incident, the Center has also advised the app stores to be more cautious. According to the government, the security and potential risks of an app should be properly verified before it is released on the platform, so that malicious apps do not reach users.
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Recently, a series of videos went viral on social media, where it is claimed that some individuals are remotely stopping e-rickshaws by connecting to a Bluetooth-enabled battery management system. The incident has raised concerns about cyber security. The Delhi government has also ordered an inquiry to the transport department to look into the matter.
Initial investigations revealed that such apps are mainly designed to monitor the voltage, temperature and other information of lithium-ion batteries. But some less secure battery management systems lack password or authentication mechanisms, creating opportunities for abuse. Allegedly, as a result, some e-rickshaws stop in the middle of the road and the drivers have to suffer. After this incident, there has been a renewed discussion about the need to strengthen cyber security in electric vehicles.