Dealer Data Security Spotty
Many auto dealers haven’t taken more advanced steps to protect their systems from cyberattacks, and a significant number are unaware of their exposure, according to a recent poll.
The November survey by file-transfer and identity-verification products provider Botdoc found that just about 10% of dealers have data-in-transit protections in place and just 40% provide more than annual employee training, advanced protections the company says are needed in today’s environment. In fact, it said 10% of stores offer no training to help prevent damage.
Last year, many dealerships experienced cyberattacks around the time that CDK Global’s software systems used by dealerships sustained two damaging attacks.
Giving a sense of the scope of vulnerabilities, the survey found that 41% of dealerships are unsure whether their systems have been breached or not, while 19% said they’ve been victims of attacks.
“This uncertainty points to a critical need for improved detection and response capabilities,” Botdoc said in a press release on the survey results.
Many dealers do plan to strengthen their cyber protections, Botdoc said. Its poll found that 20% said they’ll add cloud and ransomware security technologies, and 18% plan to invest in artificial intelligence solutions. Meanwhile, just 10% have data-in-transit products on their shopping lists.