Securing charging station data via supervision systems: an imperative for companies

The rise of electric vehicles is accompanied by the rapid development of recharging infrastructures, controlled by ever more powerful supervision software. But with this growing digitalization, one issue is becoming central: data security. Each charging session, each user, each connected terminal generates a wealth of sensitive information, from energy consumption to identification data. For companies, protecting this data is a technological, economic and regulatory challenge. So how do you guarantee an efficient, reliable and secure recharging network? This is where intelligent supervision comes into play, ensuring centralized, transparent... and protected management.

Why is data security a major issue for charging stations?

Against a backdrop of accelerating energy transition, the supervision of charging stations is becoming an essential component of a company's electrical ecosystem. However, as these infrastructures become more connected and intelligent, they also expose companies to new risks: those linked to cybersecurity and data protection.

Sensitive data flows in constant circulation

Each charging station transmits key information in real time via a supervision system:

• Technical data: operating status, power consumption, frequency of use, system errors.
• User data: login details, badge numbers, session history, recharge profiles.
• Energy and financial data: session duration, associated costs, billing index.

This data is invaluable for optimizing network management, but it also represents a potential attack surface if not sufficiently protected. A security breach could compromise user confidentiality, disrupt service, or even affect billing and overall fleet supervision.

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Supervision, at the crossroads of performance and cybersecurity

Supervision plays a central role in the reliability and energy efficiency of charging stations. It enables equipment to be monitored remotely, faults to be detected, charging and costs to be optimized, and detailed usage reports to be generated. But to fully fulfill its role, it must guarantee theintegrity, confidentiality and availability of the data processed.

This involves :

• Implement secure communication protocols (such as HTTPS, VPN or OCPP 2.0 with encryption).
• Ensure strong authentication for access to supervision platforms.
• Track all actions via secure logs.
• Regular updates to correct vulnerabilities.

In short, data security is not an option for companies with charging infrastructures. It's a prerequisite for the long-term operation of their equipment, and for compliance with growing regulatory requirements.

How supervision guarantees data security for charging stations

In the face of these threats, supervision does more than just monitor the terminals: it becomes a cybersecurity infrastructure in its own right, integrated into your energy network.

End-to-end encrypted communications

The first protection barrier is data encryption. All information transmitted between the terminal and the supervision platform passes through secure protocols (HTTPS, TLS, VPN), making interception virtually impossible.

The most advanced supervision systems provide end-to-end encryption, which means that :

• Data is encrypted as soon as it is sent from the terminal.
• They remain unreadable throughout their transit over the network (Wi-Fi, 4G, Ethernet, etc.).
• They can only be read by the authorized supervision server, and not by a malicious third party.

It is now an essential standard for any system managing personal or strategic data.

Reinforced authentication to limit access

The other pillar of security isuser authentication. A well-designed supervision system must offer advanced protections, such as :

• Two-factor authentication (2FA) for system operators.
• Customized access rights according to role (site manager, technician, CSR manager, etc.).
• Comprehensive activity logs, enabling every action performed on the system to be traced.

These mechanisms prevent intrusions, but above all internal faults or configuration errors that could compromise the integrity of the recharging network.

Supervision and open protocols: securing the balance

Supervision systems based on OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol ) offer great flexibility, as they can integrate terminals from different manufacturers. But this openness also requires particular vigilance.

A good supervision software must be able to :

• Filter suspicious connections, even if they comply with the protocol.
• Check the identity of each terminal connected to the network.
• Limit unauthorized interaction with the system API.

In other words, interoperability must never be at the expense of safety.

Regulations and compliance: what does the law say about IRVE data security?

In an increasingly stringent regulatory environment, companies can no longer afford to ignore the legal issues surrounding the cybersecurity of their charging infrastructures. Supervision plays a key role in ensuring full compliance with current legislation.

The RGPD: an unavoidable framework for personal data

As soon as supervision collects data linked to the user (RFID badge, session identifier, charging history...), it falls within the scope of the General Data Protection Regulation (RGPD).

Companies operating a fleet of terminals must therefore :

• Clearly inform users of the nature of the data collected.
• Justify their processing as part of a legitimate interest (billing, energy monitoring, etc.).
• Implement robust protection measures, on pain of administrative sanctions in the event of leakage or mismanagement.

Supervision centralizes and secures this data, facilitating RGPD compliance and ensuring the necessary transparency vis-à-vis users.

NIS2 Directive and critical infrastructures

With the future NIS2 directive currently being adopted at European level, recharging infrastructures - particularly those on a large scale or open to the public - will soon be classified as critical infrastructures.

This implies :

• A reporting obligation in the event of a cyber-attack or security incident.
• Implementation of intrusion detection systems and incident response plans.
• Regular checks on recharging information systems.

Anticipating these obligations today, through secure supervision, means avoiding sanctions tomorrow... but also guaranteeing the resilience of your operations in a context of increasing digitalization.

Secure supervision: what are the concrete benefits for companies?

Beyond regulatory compliance, well thought-out supervision is a strategic investment for companies equipped with charging stations. It combines operational reliability, data protection and performance optimization.

Risk reduction and guaranteed service continuity

Cyber attacks on energy infrastructures are on the increase. By securing communications and access to terminals, supervision makes it possible to :

• Avoid service interruptions due to intrusions or network anomalies.
• Guarantee the availability of terminals for employees, customers or service providers.
• Preserve the company's image, by limiting security and confidentiality incidents.

At a time when recharging is becoming a strategic link in the business chain, any downtime can have major operational consequences.

Centralized supervision saves time and cuts costs

A secure supervision system also enables centralized management of the IRVE fleet, including :

• Fewer unnecessary on-site interventions.
• Real-time monitoring of anomalies, facilitating proactive maintenance.
• Automated reports for invoicing, CSR reporting and audits.

As a result, the company gains in operational efficiency, reduces the mental burden on technical teams, and keeps operating costs under control.

A confidence-building lever for stakeholders

A well-supervised and secure recharging infrastructure is also a communication asset. It shows that the :

• Takes user data protection seriously.
• Is able to meet the most demanding standards.
• Committed to sustainable, reliable and responsible electric mobility.

All these elements reinforce the confidence of customers, partners, investors and employees, in a context where transparency is becoming a key value.

Best practices for securing your supervision system

Implementing secure supervision is not just a matter of choosing the right software: it's a global process that needs to incorporate rules, tools and reflexes shared by the whole organization. And above all, it requires the right partner.

Adopt a "safety by design" approach

Safety should not be added at the end of the project, but should be considered right from the installation of the charging stations and the selection of the supervision system. This means :

• Choose equipment compatible with current cybersecurity standards (OCPP 2.0.1 with encryption, for example).
• Work with an IRVE operator who integrates cybersecurity into its offering (firewalls, network monitoring, secure protocols).
• Train technical teams to manage credentials, update them regularly and detect weak signals of compromise.

👉 By opting for the Bump solution, you benefit from a "security by design" approach, integrated right from the recovery audit. Our infrastructures are designed to ensure a high level of data protection right from the outset.

Regular software and firmware updates

The majority of cyber-attacks exploit known vulnerabilities... for which patches already exist. That's why updates are a simple but critical lever for securing an IRVE infrastructure.

• Plan regular updates of the supervision software, following the publisher's recommendations.
• Make sure your terminal firmware is up to date, especially for older models.
• Automate critical patches as soon as they become available, in the event of an identified vulnerability.

✅ With Bump, software and firmware updates are included in our preventive maintenance services, ensuring a constantly up-to-date and protected infrastructure.

Limit access and monitor abnormal behavior

Finally, it is essential to implement a strict policy for managing access to the supervision platform. This includes :

• Well-defined user profiles, with permissions restricted to their real needs.
• Multi-factor authentication mandatory for administrators.
• An alert system in the event of unusual activity (connection at abnormal times, multiple attempts, etc.).

🎯 Bump supports you in setting up these control devices via a secure, customizable interface hosted on servers that comply with European standards. All access is tracked, encrypted and monitored, giving you total peace of mind.

With Bump, supervision becomes a powerful, fluid and ultra-secure tool - with no compromise between performance and protection.

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