The number of cyberattacks to the trucking and logistics industries are growing, with attacks having the potential to cripple a company, according to a panel of experts at the Fleet Data Management and Cybersecurity Conference.
As reported by Transport Topics, the panel agreed small and midsize businesses are especially vulnerable.
“This is an organized crime. It’s sophisticated, it’s real and they are after you,” said Randy Goggans, co-founder of ThreatAdvice, a firm that markets security software and advises firms on fighting computer-based attacks.
The rise of telematics and the adoption of electronic logging devices has made trucks more vulnerable because the technology connects them to the wider world. The most common attack methods are through phishing via email, smishing via text messages and vishing by using phones, said Goggans.
A criminal may seek the truck to steal its freight, to shut it down or to control it in some way. And the increased use of third-party firms means the more sophisticated bad guys will attempt to go through these firms to get into their target company’s system, said Goggans.
Ryan Brander, manager of product and cybersecurity with the tech firm Geotab, warned attendees about criminals hacking the telematic devices that have become ubiquitous in trucks.
Unfortunately, “most telematic devices do not have security features,” said Brander. “There is no encryption, there is no encrypted software in the devices.”
Another threat for trucking is the widespread use of Wi-Fi as cyber criminals can intercept these communications, said Brander.
But firms can start protecting themselves by sharing information on threats and educating their staff on ways crooks will attempt to access their systems, said Mark Zachos, president of DG Technologies.
“Security is a process. There’s working on awareness, the sharing of information, and conducting penetration testing to find where a company might be vulnerable,” said Zachos, who commends TMC for taking steps to address the issue.
“There’s a lot of work to do,” said Zachos.
Full TT story here.