U.S. officials have flagged potential security risks in solar-powered highway infrastructure, citing concerns over hidden devices from China. The Federal Highway Administration has raised alarms about undocumented cellular radios found in foreign-manufactured power inverters and battery systems, many of which are Chinese-made. These devices could potentially allow remote tampering, a concern echoed by experts like Anomadarshi Barua from George Mason University. Authorities are advised to conduct inventory checks, perform spectrum analysis, and implement network segmentation to protect highway systems. Concurrently, the U.S. is tightening regulations on Chinese automobiles, driven by data privacy concerns in autonomous vehicle testing.
Are Solar-Powered Highways at Risk from Hidden Chinese Devices?
