One industry trade group is cautioning truckers about cybersecurity concerns when it comes to Chinese-made technology.
In a recent whitepaper published by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association, the group detailed what it says are “real and rising threats” to cybersecurity stemming from the use of tech manufactured in China or made using Chinese components. For truckers, that technology could be in the form of electronic logging devices, dash cameras, GPS systems or other connected devices.
The focus of the white paper was 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),” said NMFTA Cybersecurity Principal Engineer Ben Wilkens.
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 – which presents the potential for the technology to be remotely accessed by outside parties.
“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 an example of this cybersecurity breach, the group points to a 2024 investigation by the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, which determined that covert communications hardware had been embedded in Chinese-made cranes used at American ports. The hardware allowed for covert communications and data exfiltration back to China.
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.”
When it comes to safeguarding your equipment from potential cybersecurity threats, the group said that carriers will want to inquire about both where the product was made and where it was assembled. While some products might be made in the U.S., they could still have components manufactured in China.
“For the trucking industry, security cannot be separated from hardware,” NMFTA said. “Every connected device is a potential node in a global intelligence campaign … Resilience begins not at the firewall but at the point of purchase.”
Additional guidance on cybersecurity best practices for owner-operators can be found here. LL
Credit: Source link
