Rogue communication devices

Remember Volt Typhoon, a group of Chinese hackers who were identified last year by Microsoft? Volt Typhoon was a state sponsored effort to gain access to US infrastructure including communications and utilities.

Fast forward a year, and now we’re looking at solar power inverters.

Rogue communication devices found in Chinese solar power inverters
https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/ghost-machine-rogue-communication-devices-found-chinese-inverters-2025-05-14/
US energy officials are reassessing the risk posed by Chinese-made devices that play a critical role in renewable energy infrastructure after unexplained communication equipment was found inside some of them, two people familiar with the matter said.

Power inverters, which are predominantly produced in China, are used throughout the world to connect solar panels and wind turbines to electricity grids. They are also found in batteries, heat pumps and electric vehicle chargers.

While inverters are built to allow remote access for updates and maintenance, the utility companies that use them typically install firewalls to prevent direct communication back to China. However, rogue communication devices not listed in product documents have been found in some Chinese solar power inverters by U.S experts who strip down equipment hooked up to grids to check for security issues…

DB2

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The paranoia stuff is mixed.

We build laptops to use here and in the EU. IBM did that from day one regardless of the power supply.

Adding communication systems probably is for a Chinese use of the cells in China with remote sensors.