GNYADA November 2015 Newsletter

Hackers are a Major Concern for Dealerships

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you want to provide wireless internet to customers, have a separate guest network that’s different from your private network. And make sure the private wireless network uses an encryption key. n Laptops used by techs to service onboard computers should have up- to-date operating systems. Plenty of dealerships use very old OS’s which don’t support the latest antivirus soft- ware. The hidden problem here is that the computer may say its antivirus protection is up to date; but it’s up to date from before Microsoft stopped supporting it. n Make sure you keep your systems updated with the latest antivirus soft- ware. Dealers who want a deeper rundown of cybersecurity steps can consult the Five Star Automotive Cyber Safety Program from iamthecavalry.org . If any plates aren’t accounted for, you must determine when you issued them and know where their paperwork is. If you still have outstanding plates, file a police report for a missing/stolen plate; then submit a copy of that police report, along with a letter of explanation, to DMV, in order to have those plates removed from your inventory. A best practice policy would include performing a plate inventory once a month, or whenever you submit a new plates order. n n

Dealerships need to be vigilant about detecting in-vehicle computer virus- es, as automobiles continue to grow more and more tech-enabled. The advent of features like voice controls, internet and rear-mounted radar require the biggest/fastest/best in onboard computers. But with new sophistication come new security issues. The latest concern is an “infected” vehicle coming in for service, subse- quently corrupting the dealership’s testing equipment, and then spreading malware to other vehicles that are serviced with the same hardware. According to cybersecurity experts, this fear is more concrete than per- haps many dealers realize. Just this past summer, Fiat Chrysler opted to recall 1.4 million vehicles when the Jeep Cherokee failed a hacking exer- cise — simulators were able to gain If your plate inventory is not up to date when you submit a new order to DMV, this may impact your ability to order plates — you could also run out before the issue is resolved. Conducting an inventory check will tell you if you have lost, old or out- standing plates, or if they’re being used out of sequence. It will also assure that your paperwork is being submitted on time by your biller/title clerk. To conduct this check, call the NYS DMV Plate Issuance Unit at 518.626.8380, and ask them for a report of open plates. You’ll need to provide your facility number and a fax number. DMV will send you a 9

control over a multitude of functions, from the air-conditioning to the brakes and steering. At a recent cybersecurity conference in Louisville, KY, one presenter demonstrated a new tool designed to reveal vulnerabilities in a dealership's diagnostics equipment. This particu- lar software identifies potential holes for malware to slip through. An example of such a flaw would be a system failing to check the entire VIN, allowing a virus-hosting car to upload any data it likes, disrupt diag- nostics software, and deliver a cor- ruptive payload. Short of using software that regularly simulates attacks, there are also sim- pler ways that a dealership can bol- ster its cyber-protection: complete list of all plates that have been issued to your facility, including in-transit permits. Once you have the list in-hand: Mark off all your boxes of unopened plates and in-transit permit packs. Look in your plate logs to make sure the remaining plates are either still in your possession or have been issued. If the plates have been issued, refer to your open transmittals and make sure the unaccounted plates are either included there or on the current transmittal that you’ll be sending to DMV-DIRECT or to your service provider. n n n n If you use wireless internet, you should not share the network info. If

Check Your Plate Inventory — Here's Why

Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association • www.gnyada.com

The Newsletter • November 2015 5