Building a Cybersecurity Framework for Your Automotive Dealership

Perform a quick Google or ChatGPT AI search with this phrase: 

“What are the regulatory requirements for automotive dealerships regarding information technology cybersecurity programs?”

Have you heard the term 'word salad'? It describes a confusing mix of words or phrases that are hard to understand. Your search results may have resembled this.

The amount of knowledge needed to build a cybersecurity program often exceeds the capability (and frankly, the responsibility) of your IT team. Yet, an effective cybersecurity and compliance framework is an essential part of protecting and supporting the business.  

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework is a set of guidelines developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology to help organizations manage and reduce cybersecurity risks. This framework consists of five core functions—Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover—that provide a structured approach to improving cybersecurity resilience. The visual of this can be seen below.

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework offers a flexible structure, providing key principles and guidance rather than prescriptive rules. It’s designed to help IT teams evaluate their unique cybersecurity needs, map out solutions, and establish processes that fit their specific business context. While the framework outlines essential steps, such as identifying, protecting, and recovering from cyber threats, it’s up to each IT team to customize, document, and implement these components in a way that aligns with their organization’s goals and resources.

Automotive dealerships are heavily regulated in the areas of data privacy, consumer rights, and financial transactions, requiring strict security protocols to protect customer data, including data encryption, access control, and ongoing security assessments. When developing your program, numerous regulatory and compliance standards must be considered, including:

• The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.
• The Disposal Rule.
• The Magnuson - Moss Warranty Act.
• The Used Car Rule.
• The Truth in Lending Act.
• The Equal Credit Opportunity Act.
• Truth-in-Advertising Regulations.
• California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
• Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)
• Cybersecurity Insurance Requirements
• Federal and State Breach Notification Laws / Rules

These regulations collectively require a cybersecurity program that includes:

• Data protection and encryption: Essential for securing consumer financial, personal, and credit information.
• Access control and authentication: Limit access to sensitive data to authorized users only, reducing risk.
• Regular audits and compliance checks: Ensure consistent adherence to regulations through routine assessments.
• Consumer privacy protocols: Allow consumers to access, amend, or delete their data per CCPA and GLBA.
• Secure payment systems: PCI DSS compliance necessitates rigorous controls over all payment processes.

While the requirements above ensure a compliant and effective cybersecurity program, NetraVine also implements practical measures with each of our security clients to enhance the effectiveness of their cybersecurity programs. These include:

1. Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) architecture
2. Backups both on and offsite
3. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all applications
4. Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
5. Endpoint Detection and Response
6. Managed Detection and Response
7. Incident response programs that follow a "Runbook"
8. Employee awareness training and verification programs

Given the automotive industry is heavily regulated, particularly when it comes to data security, and the level of complexity that a cybersecurity program possesses, this can be more than a small IT team can feasibly build on their own. Additionally, the landscape of cybersecurity is continually evolving. Therefore, partnering with professionals who are current on the latest requirements can help your business save time and money and reduce risks.

NetraVine specializes in building Cybersecurity programs for the automotive vertical.  Our team of certified security experts and fractional resource can function as part of your team via our Teams as a Service (TaaS) staff augmentation model and build a robust, functional cybersecurity program.