What Exactly Is Battery Security? (BatSec Series 1/6)

We have lightbulbs. Then, we have smart lightbulbs.

And it’s so very cool until you realized your smart lightbulb was hacked and became part of a botnet responsible for the DDoS attack that brought down your website.

The trend toward automation and software-defined everything is here. Smart devices mean connectivity. Anything connected to any network can become a security liability.

Today’s IoT security is way behind. We can’t approach software-defined battery and electrification — which will power critical infrastructure — with the same mindset.

Some manufacturers and battery management system (BMS) software vendors talk a good game about “battery security” — but the definition is vague, and what they’re doing isn’t enough to prepare us for the next chapter in electrification.

Battery security is a complex concept. It involves a lot more than what meets the eye. As we combine technologies from various disciplines to build a revolutionary software-defined battery  (SDB) solution, we must consider the safety and security implications from just as many levels. 

This series delves into the many facets of battery security: What battery security really is and isn’t, why it’s important in the age of accelerated electrification, and what a well-designed system can do (a lot more than preventing bad guys from blowing up EVs) — and we’re just scratching the surface.

We’ll also look at the complexity of this discipline (we can spin off a few separate businesses just selling this technology) and share a high-level overview of how Tanktwo’s battery security architecture works to protect high-value assets and support the electrification of critical infrastructure.

But first, let’s get onto the same page…

Battery security: A definition

Let’s consider the concept of security — it refers to different criteria in different contexts:

Physical security prevents access by malicious actors — the job is done when you manage to keep the bad guys out. Meanwhile, financial or social security hinges on the concept of insurance, where low-probability but high-impact events could prevent a system’s continual and normal functioning. 

Information and data security has a broader scope. It involves preventing access (like physical security), ensuring continuity (like social security), and promoting data integrity — e.g., by preventing unauthorized parties from modifying data in transit, authenticating user identities, and verifying the legitimacy of online entities.

Traditional battery solutions rarely include a security component. If a system does have one, it usually only addresses the physical aspect, i.e., preventing tampering by unauthorized personnel. While physical safety is important, the attack methods are much less scalable than those exploiting software weaknesses. 

The advent of software-defined batteries (SDB) will change the conversation: We must expand the definition of battery security. The discipline must incorporate physical and data security with other safety measures to protect systems from intrusions and interruptions. 

With great power comes great responsibility.

As such, Tanktwo’s battery security architecture focuses on addressing challenges in the information security space because cyber attacks can cause widespread disruptions at unprecedented scales.

Why should we concern about battery security?

Batteries are made of expensive materials (lithium) and deliver a resource (electricity) our society relies on. Their high value means they should only be used per the contract between the owner and user(s). Battery security discourages theft by rendering a battery useless (and, therefore, worthless) when stolen.

But allowing legitimate users access is just one piece of the puzzle. These users can still do things they shouldn’t — like operating the battery in dangerous conditions (e.g., too hot or too cold) or cranking up the power to an unsafe level. Such mishandling can lead to dire consequences like thermal runaways and lithium fires. 

Our approach to battery security makes SDBs work as intended: It stops working for anyone who isn’t authorized to use the battery system, is an authorized user but trying to do something out of contact, or takes any action that may cause physical harm (e.g., a fire.)

What does battery security cover?

Battery security ensures SDB data gets where it needs to be and makes the battery do what it needs to do but nothing more. Depending on the use case, it expands to cover ownership, safety, permitted usage, traceability of raw materials, supported business model, data integrity, and more.

We can even use battery security principles to track the carbon footprint of the energy used for charging and limit the environmental impact of the application to support broader social, environmental, and governance (ESG) goals. For example, you can configure a Tanktwo SDB to only charge from renewable sources.

Meanwhile, access control, integral to any security protocols, can expand beyond the narrower sense of safety and security to help automatically ensure the right actions are taken at the right time to maximize a battery solution's business benefits and ROI. 

Up Next: The Importance of battery security in large-scale electrification

Our battery security architecture doesn’t just protect SDBs from malicious attacks. The ability to control access and usage also allows granular control of large-scale electrified equipment. The next installment of this series will look at the many applications that make battery security the foundation of the future of electrification.