Cyber Defense Tools and Strategies to Safeguard Your Dealership
Your marine business faces increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, from phishing emails to synthetic fraud to full-blown cyberattacks. You know you can’t afford to jeopardize sensitive customer and business information. Yet it can be overwhelming to try to protect your dealership from all the potential attacks: the significant financial burdens, your valuable time and the possibility of damage to your reputation.
That’s why we’ve gather insights from industry experts and our MRAA Partners to give you the information and tools to implement critical cybersecurity strategies. Use these resources and educational solutions to empower your team with the knowledge and tactics to safeguard your operations and create a more cyber-resilient dealership.
BLOG & RESOURCES
Cybersecurity Knowledge – Protecting Your Business
No matter the size of your dealership, you and your team face numerous cybersecurity threats. That’s why it’s so imperative to train your employees, create policies and put in place a system of resilience so you can withstand the steady bombardment. Your ability to maintain robust cybersecurity practices can help your dealership continue to outperform.
Gain more knowledge of this growing troublespot by reading this blog and downloading these three resources from Global Marine Insurance, an MRAA Education Champion.
Recent Cyber Claims Statistics
Cyber 101 (Insurance Coverages)
Marine Dealer Compliance Checklist
BLOG & RESOURCES
How to Identify and Mitigate Cybersecurity Risks at Your Dealership
A cyberattack on your dealership can not only create financial loss, but also damage your reputation, create legal trouble and allow unlawful access to your private data and intellectual property. That’s why it’s vital for your dealership to have proactive and retroactive cybersecurity plans in place to help alleviate the undesirable risk. MRAA Education Champion IDS helps you identify and minimize threats at your business.
Manual Processes Guidance for RV and Marine Dealership Business Continuity
Are you confident in your dealership’s ability to navigate power, internet or software outages using manual processes? You need a preparedness plan that fits your unique business. This handy resource from IDS highlights the essential documents and data that need to be manually recorded and later entered into your systems.
EDUCATION & TRAINING
Protect Your Dealership from the Growing Cybersecurity Threat
with Robert Siciliano
As a dealership leader, it’s your responsibility to care for your team, your customers and your business. And yet, every day, the threats you must fend off not only grow, but also become more sophisticated and difficult to detect. Each time your team members answer the phone, click on an email, receive a text or post on social media, they open the door to fraud that can expose customer, employee and dealership data and disrupt business operations. This can cost. you tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. With the proper cybersecurity awareness, training and tools, you can empower your team with the knowledge, skills, technology and processes to mitigate cyber threats, whether your team is small or large. In the Dealer Week Online course “Protect Your Dealership from the Growing Cybersecurity Threat” expert cybersecurity trainer Robert Siciliano (Safe.me/ProtectNow) shows you how to:
- Identify and handle suspicious communication
- Protect sensitive customer, vendor and employee information
- Verify customer identities
- Ensure the legitimacy of payment requests
- Instill a culture of data security
MRAA Members have complete access to the ‘Protect Your Dealership from the Growing Cybersecurity Threat’ PowerPoint presentation and 11 additional resources. Give your team practical tactics, templates and insights to safeguard your dealership, no matter how small or large.
Here are the topics:
- Costs Associated with Fraud Prevention Solutions
- Cybersecurity Policy and Training Plan Outlines
- Cybersecurity Threats and Fraud Facing Marine Dealers
- FTC Safeguards Rule Impact on Marine Dealers
- How to Detect and Prevent Synthetic Identity Fraud
- Resources to Help Dealers Achieve FTC Safeguards Rule Compliance
- How to Maintain a Secure Data Environment to Protect Against Fraud
- How Training Combats Synthetic Identity Fraud
- Key Components of a Fraud Prevention Strategy
- Questions to Ask Cybersecurity Vendors
- Recommended Cybersecurity Vendors
(NOTE: You have until March 1, 2025 to register for Dealer Week Online to watch this course and the other 19 sessions.)
Want these resources or have questions? Reach out to Sherri Cuvala, MRAA Director of Membership, at sherri@mraa.com.
BLOG
Protect Consumer Information with a Digital Deal Jacket
As your dealership transitions from paper-based record-keeping to digital systems, protecting sensitive customer and business information becomes crucial. It’s vital to understand common cybersecurity threats, such as data breaches and unauthorized access. This blog from Ken Hill at 700Credit shares best practices for safeguarding digital deal jackets, including implementing strong passwords, regular software updates, employee training and utilizing secure storage solutions.
RESOURCE
Guide to Fraud Detection & Prevention
It’s important that you’re aware of potential threats to your dealership’s health. Identity fraud — identity theft, synthetic ID fraud, driver’s license fraud and income and employment fraud — is on the rise. Artificial intelligence and high-tech tools make it even more challenging to identify false data. You don’t want to lose money or have your team waste their time with thieves instead of investing in your dealership’s success. To provide you with preventative solutions, lessen risks and preserve your company’s profitability, we partnered with 700 Credit, an MRAA Platinum Partner, to create the guide, “Fraud Detection and Prevention in the Marine & Powersports Industry.” Fraud is here to stay and evolving, so implementing business safeguards is a must-do endeavor.
MRAA Members ONLY:
Not an MRAA Member? Reach out to Sherri Cuvala, MRAA Director of Membership, at sherri@mraa.com.
DATA
Dealer Feedback – Cybersecurity
Cyber threats are growing more advanced, targeting your dealerships with phishing scams, synthetic fraud and even costly, full-scale attacks. Protecting customer and business data is mandatory even if it feels overwhelming. The financial risks, time investment and potential reputational damage make cybersecurity a major concern.
Many dealers have mid-tier confidence in their ability to detect and respond to threats. You’re not alone in this. Learn how some of your peers are strengthening their defenses to improve their cybersecurity posture.
MRAA Members ONLY:
Not an MRAA Member? Reach out to Sherri Cuvala, MRAA Director of Membership, at sherri@mraa.com.
COMPLIANCE
FTC SAFEGUARDS RULE: COMMIT TO COMPLIANCE
As a marine dealer operating in the United States, it’s important that you are in compliance with the federal rules and regulations that apply to your business. However, compliance is not something that just check off your “to do” list and let it take care of itself. No, instead it’s an ongoing dealership process through which you’re continually working to demonstrate a good-faith effort to be compliant. Revisit our dedicated MRAA Spotlight page for more resources and advice for meeting the FTC Safeguards Rule.
