Posted: 22nd June 2023

We are delighted that the department’s Sebastian Köhler has been awarded an MPLS Early-Career Research Impact Award for his research on the Security of electric vehicle charging.

Researchers across the Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division (MPLS) have been recognised for their outstanding research impact at the annual MPLS Impact Awards. The awards celebrate the work of MPLS researchers who have made significant contributions to the economy or wider society at large, through their research.  This year's winners were selected from nominations representing MPLS researchers at all career stages. The winners will each receive a £1,000 prize in recognition of their achievements. 

In 2022, doctoral researcher Sebastian identified a significant vulnerability in the network protocol of the Combined Charging System (CCS), a widely adopted standard for electric vehicle (EV) charging in the US, Europe and Asia. Sebastian found that CCS charging could be disrupted from a certain distance away, using a remote signal, with the potential to impact approximately 20 million EVs and any electric battlefield, and emergency vehicles, buses, heavy trucks, boats, ferries, mining machinery or small aircraft using the CCS standard.

This vulnerability, known as ‘Brokenwire’, was assigned a Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures ID in April 2022 and has since been formally recognised by the National Institute of Standards and Technologies (US). To protect vehicles, machinery and aircraft using the standard against the malicious Brokenwire attacks that Sebastian’s research scrutinised, adaptations to the CCS standard are required and hardware components in every affected car and charger will need to be updated.

Professor Leslie Ann Goldberg, Head of the Department of Computer Science, said ‘This is a great example of the exciting and impactful work happening in our Security research theme. Sebastian's research has immediate and significant implications for technology that is rapidly becoming a fundamental part of global infrastructure. An industry-wide response will be required to mitigate the vulnerability that Sebastian has identified and analysed.  

‘His discovery will help to make these technologies more robust and secure in the future, and he is moreover making an ongoing contribution to the coordinated industry and government response. Impact on this scale is truly impressive for a researcher at Sebastian’s stage, and I'm very happy that it is being recognised through the MPLS Impact Awards.’ 

Chair of the MPLS Impact Awards judging panel, Professor Dermot O’Hare, said  ‘One of the privileges of my role as MPLS Associate Head for Industrial Liaison and Innovation is chairing our annual Impact Awards judging panel. It has been a great pleasure to recognise the exceptional efforts and achievements of divisional colleagues that have ensured their research benefits society and the economy. The impact of our early career researchers is so impressive I was delighted to be able to announce two winners in that category.’ 

Professor Sam Howison, Head of the Mathematical, Physical and Life Science Division, said ‘The MPLS Impact Awards recognise and celebrate the outstanding research impact of MPLS researchers. They raise awareness of the important areas in which MPLS researchers are leading the way, and they also help to identify examples of impact excellence we can use to prepare for future REF submissions and similar exercises. Congratulations to each of this year’s winners and those who are commended, on the impact they are making in the world around us.’ 

Read the full list of award winners here: https://www.mpls.ox.ac.uk/latest/news/research-winners-and-commendations-announced-for-mpls-impact-awards-2023