Multi-Signal MDR for Automotive Dealerships

An automotive dealership cybersecurity program has administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to:

• Ensure the security and confidentiality of consumer information
• Protect against anticipated threats or hazards to the security or integrity of information
• Protect against unauthorized access to information that could result in substantial harm or inconvenience to customers

Automotive dealerships are the retail operational fronts for the automotive industry and are highly susceptible to cyberattacks that impact the financial, retail, and manufacturing industries. There are two primary reasons that automotive dealerships are attractive targets for cyberattacks:

1. Automotive dealers possess a considerable amount of sensitive customer data
2. Automotive dealership cybersecurity is not top of mind for security leaders

As a result, many cyberattackers view the average auto dealership as low hanging fruit with the potential of a quick payday.

Additionally, auto dealerships are required to meet the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Safeguards rule, which is designed to protect sensitive customer information, as your dealership is considered a financial institution because you issue and extend credit for the purposes of leasing or financing automobiles.

Your dealership should have automotive cybersecurity protection that prevents revenue disruption and achieves compliance requirements.

All automotive dealerships in the U.S., big and small, are required to comply with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Safeguards Rule. This includes having the following 9 components in place as part of your automotive cybersecurity program:

1. Designate a ‘qualified individual’ to implement and supervise their automotive cybersecurity program
2. Conduct regular risk assessments
3. Design and implement safeguards to control the risks identified in your risk assessments
4. Regularly monitor and test the effectiveness of your safeguards
5. Ensure all employees are provided with automotive cyber security training
6. Monitor service providers
7. Keep your automotive cybersecurity program current
8. Create a written incident response plan, outlining roles, responsibilities, and remediation actions taken in the event of an incident
9. Require your qualified individual to report the overall status of your automotive cyber security program

Watch our automotive dealership FTC Safeguards Rule webinar here or check out the Safeguards rule compliance checklist here to learn more about how to achieve compliance with 24/7 Multi-signal MDR.

At eSentire, we support automotive dealers through a combination of our Exposure Managed Services, 24/7 Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services, and Incident Response services to ensure your automotive dealership remains compliant and internal/customer data remains protected. Learn more about our automotive dealership cybersecurity protection in our data sheet.