‘Ghost Machines’ and Rogue Components: A Repair Security Wake-Up Call

A recent investigation reported by Reuters uncovered a serious security risk that should concern anyone involved in the operation and maintenance of critical electronics and infrastructure security. Several Chinese-manufactured solar inverters, used globally to manage and convert renewable energy sources, contained undocumented communication devices. These “ghost machines� can allow unauthorised remote access to a device, posing an alarming cybersecurity risk. While the headline has largely focused on energy infrastructure and national security, there’s another side to this story, one that directly impacts the future of secure electronics repair. These revelations underscore the pressing need for repair professionals, technicians, and facility managers to take repair security seriously. If you don’t know exactly what’s inside your electronics before and after repair, you could be compromising entire systems.