Cyberattacks rarely come in through the front door and immediately announce their presence. They slip in disguised as ordinary activity. Think phishing emails and fake logins. By the time anyone at the dealership notices something is off, the damage is already done. Systems lock out, operations grind to a halt, and customer data is at serious risk.
These threats used to be much easier to spot, but cybercriminals have stepped up their game. What used to be poorly structured emails with unusually bad grammar has evolved into hyper-realistic traps that go undetected by employees who aren’t properly trained. Now, with the
inclusion of AI, these tactics are getting even scarier.
Dealerships Are Prime Targets
The bad guys don’t see your business the way everyone else does. They don’t see the history, the community, or the people who make your dealership great. All they see is a digital gold mine. Every day, sensitive information flows through your systems. We’re talking about customer records, credit applications, vendor payments, the list goes on.
It’s valuable, and they know it.
Many dealerships move fast and run lean, often allowing cybersecurity to slip into the background. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what attackers are counting on. The less attention you give to protection, the more open your digital doors become to exploitation.
The Cost of Letting Cybersecurity Slide
The devastating cyberattack that occurred in the summer of 2024 was a wake-up call. Thousands of dealerships were locked out of their systems, unable to process payments or complete even the most basic daily operations. Since that time, data from Proton’s
Security Operations Center has shown malicious activity surging nearly 250 percent.
Damage can extend well beyond a temporary outage. When the worst happens, a minor inconvenience is often your best-case scenario. It’s far more likely that if met with ransomware infections or data breaches, your dealership can be left with:
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Lost revenue from operational downtime.
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Stolen records and employee data.
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A damaged reputation that diminishes customer trust.
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Legal headaches and loss of compliance.
Stay Safe in the Face of Danger
Luckily, protecting your dealership doesn’t call for a total operational overhaul. It’s all about building consistent habits that help make cybersecurity a core component of your daily operations.
Not sure where to begin? Here are a few suggestions from the Proton team:
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Know Your Vulnerabilities
Allow for regular inspections to identify potential weak points and uncover gaps you never knew existed.
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Train Your Team
Employees are your first line of defense. Proper cybersecurity training could be all it takes to stop the next threat.
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Secure Every Endpoint
From internet servers to handheld devices, anything that’s connected to your network needs protection.
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Layer Your Defenses
Firewalls, antivirus tools, Multi-Factor Authentication, and monitoring systems should work together like a pit crew.
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Reduce Your Attack Surface
You wouldn’t leave your dealership’s physical doors unlocked at the end of the night. Do the same for your digital ones!
Let’s Talk at NADA
Cybersecurity doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does need consistency. That’s why the Proton Security Operations Center, where we monitor and defend dealerships 24/7/365, is coming to Las Vegas this year! Swing by
booth 3155 at NADA to see firsthand the tools and resources our team uses to protect our dealerships every day.
While you’re there, test your cybersecurity knowledge for a chance to win big with our one-of-a-kind cyberattack game.
