How Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities Impact Dealer Marketing Teams

Cybersecurity isn’t always a page-one news story, but it’s only a matter of time. Auto dealerships are always facing significant challenges in cybersecurity and secure data transfer, which have profound implications for their marketing teams. These cyber threats, coupled with the necessity to protect sensitive customer information, has placed auto dealers in a precarious position.

For dealerships, the only threat isn’t just someone driving a car off the lot. It’s someone walking away with personal customer data. In my recent From the Source interview, I shared a story about how thieves broke into a dealership and didn’t steal a single vehicle. They were after the deal jackets, the photocopies of driver’s licenses, credit apps, banking info. That was the real target.

This kind of breach is no longer rare and it doesn’t just affect IT. For marketing teams, a single attack can derail customer trust, reputation, and revenue. Marketing professionals are often the first to face questions from customers and the last to be brought into cybersecurity conversations.

A recent Botdoc survey of 2,500 dealership professionals reveals just how vulnerable the average store really is. While the data spans a wide range of security concerns, four key themes stand out; and all of them carry direct implications for marketing.

1. Dealerships Are Missing Basic Cyber Defenses

The foundation of any cybersecurity program should include antivirus software, firewalls, and multi-factor authentication (MFA). Yet according to the survey:

• Only 17.48% of dealerships use antivirus software
• 19.42% use firewalls
• Just 15.53% use MFA
• 11.65% regularly patch or update software
• 10.68% use encrypted data storage
• 9.71% use intrusion detection systems
• And 0.97% report having none of these protections at all

These statistics highlight a significant gap in the adoption of comprehensive cybersecurity protocols, leaving many dealerships vulnerable to cyber attacks.

These numbers also paint a concerning picture, one that directly affects how marketing teams operate. Marketing platforms are often data-rich and interconnected. CRMs, automated email systems, digital ad platforms, and analytics tools are all only as secure as the environment they operate in. Many dealerships assume third-party vendors or DMS providers are covering these bases but that’s a dangerous assumption.

Without strong foundational defenses, marketing teams are working with exposed tools, holding sensitive customer data in systems that may not be adequately protected. It’s not just an IT problem — it’s a customer trust issue.

2. Employees Aren’t Trained to Spot Threats

Even the best cybersecurity tools won’t protect a dealership if the people using them aren’t trained to do so responsibly. The frequency of cybersecurity training for employees is another critical area where dealerships are lagging, the Botdoc survey found that employee training frequency is alarmingly low:

• 9.71% of dealerships train staff monthly
• 11.65% train quarterly
• 39.81% train annually
• 29.13% only provide training during onboarding
• 9.71% never train staff at all

That last figure alone should give any marketing leader pause. Dealerships that never train their employees on cybersecurity are relying on sheer luck to avoid a breach. Marketing professionals often work with vendors, freelancers, or platform logins that exist outside the DMS firewall. They’re also likely to handle creative assets, customer databases, and campaign targeting files — all of which can be entry points for threat actors. Without regular training, even well-meaning employees can become the weakest link in the chain. It’s rarely malicious, it’s usually just a lack of awareness. Someone clicks the wrong link, or forwards something without thinking. But that’s all it takes.

3. Breaches Are Already Happening and Most Don’t Even Know It

Data breaches and cyber attacks are not uncommon in the auto dealership industry. One of the most striking data points from the survey is how many dealerships have already experienced a breach or don’t know if they have:

• 19.42% said they have experienced a data breach or cyberattack
• 39.81% said they have not
• 40.78% said they are unsure

That means more than 4 in 10 dealerships aren’t sure whether they’ve been compromised. That level of uncertainty isn’t just a technical problem: it’s a communications crisis waiting to happen.

In an age where customers expect transparency, going dark after a breach can be more damaging than the breach itself. Marketing departments need to be equipped with clear protocols, approved messaging, and cross-department communication in the event of an incident.

4. Why Aren’t Dealerships Moving Faster?

If the risks are clear, and the stakes are high, what’s holding dealerships back?

According to the Botdoc data, the biggest barriers to implementing effective cybersecurity measures are:

• Complexity of systems (30.10%)
• Inability to find the right partner or resource (24.27%)
• Lack of expertise (20.39%)
• Employee resistance (9.71%)
• Lack of budget (9.71%)
• Keeping up with evolving threats (5.83%)

Many dealerships are overwhelmed but that doesn’t mean the responsibility goes away. While IT and compliance teams wrestle with technical decisions, marketing teams can play a valuable role in moving security forward. They can advocate for stronger internal communication, help craft training messages that resonate, and ensure the dealership’s brand reputation is part of every risk discussion.

Marketing doesn’t just promote the dealership, it protects it. And in a threat landscape that’s evolving faster than most realize, their seat at the table has never been more important.

Future Investments and Cyber Security Budgets

While current vulnerabilities paint a concerning picture, the Botdoc survey also reveals that many dealerships are beginning to take cybersecurity more seriously. Planned investments in areas like AI-driven threat detection, cloud security, and ransomware defense suggest a growing recognition of the risks. In parallel, over half of dealerships say they’re at least somewhat likely to increase their cybersecurity budgets in 2025. Awareness is turning into action but consistency and follow-through will be key.

Cybersecurity Is a Marketing Issue, Too

Cybersecurity isn’t just a back-end technical concern, it’s a front-line brand issue. When a breach happens, it’s marketing that has to rebuild trust, respond to customer inquiries, and maintain the dealership’s reputation.

These cybersecurity challenges have significant implications for auto dealer marketing teams, which rely heavily on customer data to create targeted campaigns and drive sales.

The good news? Awareness is growing, and so is investment. But progress requires cross-functional commitment and marketing must be included in the plan. Marketing teams must work closely with cybersecurity professionals to ensure that data is protected and that customers are reassured about the security of their information. Moreover, marketing teams may face pressure to communicate the dealership's cybersecurity measures to customers. This requires a clear understanding of the dealership's security protocols and the ability to convey this information effectively. Marketing teams must also be prepared to respond to customer inquiries and concerns about data security, which can be challenging if they are not well-versed in cybersecurity. As dealerships continue to invest in advanced cybersecurity technologies and improve their protocols, they can better protect their data and enhance their marketing efforts.

Start small: ask where your data lives. Review your agency and vendor access. Push for routine training. And above all, advocate for clear, honest internal communication before something goes wrong.