Group details cybersecurity concerns involving Chinese truck components
A recent paper published by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association outlines “real and rising” cybersecurity threats related to truck components made in China.
For truckers, that technology could be in the form of electronic logging devices, dash cameras, GPS systems or other connected devices.
The National Motor Freight Traffic Association focused on the Made in China 2025 plan, which aims at “securing China’s position as a global powerhouse in high-tech industries.” The plan focuses on 10 strategic sectors for global leadership, including transportation, aerospace, advanced materials, energy and critical infrastructure.
“There’s a concerted effort in this particular plan to force other entities to be dependent on Chinese-manufactured goods or have dominance in these fields, and this extends from manufactured goods all the way back into some of the supply chain and the actual raw materials going into these (goods),” NMFTA Cybersecurity Principal Engineer Ben Wilkens said.
While keeping costs low may be appealing to carriers, Wilkens said those lower costs typically increase the likelihood of components being made in Chinese manufacturing facilities.
“The issue extends far beyond cost efficiency or competitive pricing. Hardware and devices manufactured by Chinese companies are increasingly connected, data-generating and embedded in everyday operations,” the group said. “These components, many of which are produced by firms with ties to the Chinese government or military, present opportunities for espionage, supply chain disruption and data exfiltration.”
As for what that means for trucking: Wilkens said that asset-tracking technology equipped with a Chinese-manufactured component could return sensitive data such as model transportation networks, the flow of goods, consumer demographics and where different resources are located and being moved. That data could then potentially be used to disrupt the manufacturing of goods or to manipulate traffic signals to interfere with the supply chain.
“We want to be very clear about some of these risks, but we don’t want to veer into fear-mongering or conspiracy theory-type territory,” Wilkens said. “But it is important to see how all of these systems are connected … The cascading effect is important to understand, and that’s why it’s so important to protect something like transportation anywhere we can.” LL