A cyberattack on EV charging firm ELECQ exposed customer information, highlighting how connected “smart” devices and the platforms behind them have become a genuine data-security concern — not just a convenience feature.
The Foresight take
Every internet-connected device, from chargers to cameras to sensors, is a small computer with a network connection and an account behind it. Too often these are deployed with default settings and then forgotten, making them an easy foothold.
Treat connected devices as first-class citizens on your network: change defaults, keep firmware updated, and — crucially — put them on a segregated VLAN so a compromised device can’t reach your core systems. That segmentation is exactly what our Secure Your Internal Network service delivers.
Smart devices are data systems too
It is easy to think of an EV charger, camera or sensor as a simple appliance, but each is really a small computer with a network connection and, usually, a cloud account and platform behind it holding customer information. That means two distinct risks: the device itself as a foothold on your network, and the vendor’s platform as a store of your data that you do not control. Both are routinely overlooked, because connected devices are often installed, configured with default settings, and then forgotten.
Practical steps
Bring these devices into the same discipline you apply to laptops and servers. Inventory what is connected, change default credentials, keep firmware updated, and disable any features or remote access you do not need. Crucially, place them on a segregated network so a compromised device cannot reach your core systems, and take a moment to understand what data the vendor’s platform holds and how it is protected. That segmentation is exactly what our Secure Your Internal Network service is designed to deliver, containing this kind of risk by default.
The convenience of a connected device should never quietly become a liability you had forgotten was on the network.
Source: The Register, 9 March 2026.