Smart charging solutions provider Elecq has suffered a ransomware attack on its cloud infrastructure, resulting in the possible theft of customer contact and location data, reports suggest.

The incident was detected on 7 March after “unusual activity” on the firm’s AWS cloud platform, according to a report by The Register, which saw a notice sent to customers.

Elecq, a Chinese technology firm that specialises in smart EV charging solutions for residential and commercial use, said the compromised information includes names, email addresses, phone numbers and home addresses.

However, no financial or payment information was accessed, and the EV charging devices themselves were not affected and remain “fully secure and operational”.

Robert Meeks, business development manager for electric vehicle charging specialist Versinetic, said the ransomware attack was a reminder that cloud-connected charging platforms “carry real security obligations, rather than mere feature roadmaps”.

“Elecq is a relatively minor player in the UK market, so the direct impact here is limited. Fortunately, the physical chargers were reportedly unaffected. Elecq managed to interrupt the attack while it was in progress too, which deserves some credit.

“However, the broader lesson still stands. Too many charger manufacturers have treated security as something to bolt on later; customer names, addresses and account data are obvious targets. What matters now is whether procurement teams and regulators use this moment to ask harder questions of all vendors, not just those making the headlines this week.”