Technology has always been an important part of dealership operations, but today it has become a competitive advantage. The modern dealership isn’t defined by the software it owns—it’s defined by how effectively technology supports the business. Artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, cloud platforms, data governance, and compliance have become strategic assets that influence profitability, customer experience, … Read more
For years, dealership cybersecurity focused on protecting the network perimeter. Firewalls, antivirus software, and email filtering were considered the first line of defense. Today, however, dealership cybersecurity has entered a new era. The greatest risk is no longer someone breaking through your firewall—it’s someone logging in with a legitimate identity. The rapid rise of artificial … Read more
For the past several years, dealerships have been told that dealership cybersecurity compliance starts with vulnerability scans, self-assessments, policy templates, and compliance software platforms. As a result, many dealerships have invested in what could be called first-generation cybersecurity compliance solutions. These platforms typically generate dashboards, risk registers, compliance scorecards, and lengthy reports that identify potential … Read more
When dealerships evaluate a new Dealer Management System (DMS), the conversation typically centers around features, workflows, integrations, user experience, and cost. Those are all important considerations. But as cybercriminals continue to target automotive retailers at an alarming rate, there is another question every dealership should be asking: How does this DMS impact our cybersecurity risk? … Read more
AI is rapidly finding its way into dealerships. Employees are using AI tools to draft emails, summarize documents, create spreadsheets, analyze reports, improve customer communications, and solve everyday business problems faster than ever before. In many ways, AI is becoming as common in the workplace as email and web browsers. But there’s a growing compliance … Read more
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
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
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
Nowadays, it’s not uncommon for an auto or truck retailer to collect sensitive customer information at numerous stages in the sales process, from financing to warranty management and beyond. However, most dealers aren’t thinking about data security on a day-to-day basis. When cybersecurity ends up on the back burner, that sensitive data can be put at … Read more