Let’s be real. Cybercriminals aren’t the shady figures we imagine lurking in dark alleys—they’re smart, well-funded, and packing some of the best tech money can buy. And guess what? They have their eyes on one of the most unprepared industries: car dealerships. That’s why cybersecurity for car dealerships has become more critical than ever. Because … Read more
The reputation of a dealership can be shattered in an instant. Cybersecurity incidents aren’t just technical problems—they’re ticking time bombs that can destroy a dealership’s hard-earned trust and goodwill with customers. Imagine your dealership’s name plastered across headlines, not for record sales, but for a data breach. Now, try to sell a car to a … Read more
As the incidence, severity, and sophistication of today’s cyber threats continues to grow, the appropriate use of multi-factor authentication (MFA) is becoming increasingly important. Add to this that new government regulations – like the FTC Safeguards Rule – now requires that businesses implement MFA. The result is a lot of confusion, inefficiency, and quite frankly … Read more
The point at which the cybercriminal emerges and demands ransom is the endgame of a cyber-attack – not the beginning. The key to minimizing – or even eliminating – the impact that a cyber-attack can have on your dealership is to detect the attack early in its lifecycle. To do this you need the right … Read more
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is the process of identifying users by validating two or more “factors” that are unique to a user. Some of the different factors that are most often used in the authentication process include: Something you know (such as a password or PIN) Something you have (like a code sent to your smartphone) … Read more
Unfortunately, many businesses have not properly invested in the cybersecurity best practices that are required to effectively defend against a cyberattack. For many businesses, their defense of choice has been either to: Bury their heads in the sand and hope the cybercriminal stays away. Get cyber insurance and just pass the risk onto the insurer. … Read more
According to the Harvard Business Review, in 2020 ransomware attacks grew 150% from 2019 and the amount that victims paid increased by more than 300%! As a result of the ransomware onslaught, we are all exposed to what feels like a constant stream of ransomware related horror stories. And, unfortunately, the reality is that for … Read more
Attacks are becoming more sophisticated, and many dealerships are vulnerable. Arrigo Automotive Group is one of many auto dealerships that have been targeted by ransomware in recent months, Lindsay VanHulle reports in Automotive News. In early December 2019, an unsuspecting employee opened a phishing email, launching a successful ransomware attack that halted business for several … Read more
Let’s say there are only two Ford dealers in particular city, and both dealerships sell the same cars at virtually the same price. How do customers in the area choose which dealership to purchase from? As it turns out, the most likely deal-breaker in this scenario is reputation — 59% of consumers use it to … Read more