For many auto and truck dealerships, Microsoft 365 feels safe by default. After all, it’s Microsoft. It powers your email, Teams chats, SharePoint files, OneDrive documents, and increasingly, the daily operations of your dealership. But here’s the uncomfortable reality: cybercriminals know that too. Today’s attackers are no longer just trying to break into dealership networks … Read more
Auto dealerships are embracing artificial intelligence to improve efficiency, automate workflows, and enhance customer service — but a new report from Automotive News warns that AI adoption is also creating serious new cybersecurity risks for dealerships. The article highlights how AI-powered tools are now being used across dealership operations, including finance and insurance, customer communications, and service … Read more
There’s no question about it—the AI-fueled cyber attack has arrived. What used to take skilled hackers weeks can now be executed in hours with the help of artificial intelligence. AI is accelerating phishing, automating malware, and even enabling less-skilled attackers to launch sophisticated campaigns at scale. And here’s the uncomfortable reality: most organizations still feel … Read more
There’s a dangerous assumption that still exists in many dealerships: “We have cybersecurity tools in place — we’re probably fine.” The latest data suggests otherwise. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) just released its annual report, and the numbers are hard to ignore. Cybercrime losses jumped 26% year-over-year, reaching a staggering $20.88 billion in … Read more
Most dealership leaders we speak with feel pretty good about their dealership cybersecurity. And that’s understandable. You’ve invested in tools. Firewalls are in place. Endpoint protection is deployed. Maybe there’s MFA, email security, and even advanced solutions layered in. From a distance, it looks like a strong defense. But that confidence… is often misplaced. Because … Read more
If you think cybersecurity threats targeting dealerships are already intense… brace yourself. A recent report highlighted a critical shift in the threat landscape: AI isn’t just making cyberattacks more sophisticated—it’s making them more frequent, more accessible, and dramatically more scalable. And that changes everything for dealership cybersecurity. The Real AI Threat: Volume, Not Complexity When … Read more
Most executives understand that dealership cybersecurity compliance is important. You’ve likely invested in tools, policies, and maybe even completed an audit or two. On paper, everything looks good. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: many dealerships are approaching dealership cybersecurity in a way that looks right—but leaves them exposed. The Problem: Compliance Has Become the Goal … Read more
A recent Automotive News article detailed a cybersecurity incident involving CarGurus in which a hacking group exposed more than 1.7 million corporate records, along with over 400,000 customer email addresses, phone numbers and physical addresses in a separate CarMax-related data breach incident. According to reporting, the CarGurus data breach may include dealership account information and … Read more
Buying a dealership is exciting. New rooftops. New markets. New revenue opportunities. But from a dealership cybersecurity perspective, it’s also one of the most vulnerable moments in your organization’s lifecycle. Cybercriminals know it. And they plan around it. When a dealership acquires another store, leadership attention shifts to contracts, financing, staffing, and system integration. Meanwhile, … Read more