Trucking Industry is still a Prime Target for Cybercriminals

Trucking Industry is still a Prime Target for Cybercriminals. The tools and systems we use now are much more advanced than they were just a decade ago. Unfortunately, this is also true for the tactics cybercriminals use to gain access to company networks and steal data.

The trucking industry is no stranger to ransomware attacks and other cyber breaches. These incidents can severely damage a company’s infrastructure and reputation.

Trucking Industry Security

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Trucking is one of the most targeted sectors for cyberattacks, which have been increasing in recent years. And that was before the pandemic. Now hackers are taking advantage of the changes and chaos triggered by the COVID crisis to make things worse.

Prevent Ransomware and Cyber Attacks in Trucking Industry

Trucking is a lucrative industry. Companies have access to vast amounts of cash and credit, and they’re accustomed to paying large bills. If you successfully carry out a ransomware assault, you can demand a bigger ransom.

Plus, trucking companies usually lack IT management and policies. They don’t invest in the latest technology and provide just rudimentary security training to their employees. In short, cybersecurity isn’t exactly a top concern among trucking companies, at least not in the way that driver and road safety are.

However, cybersecurity has become a major concern with back-office operations moved to remote work. The security measures that came with working in an office are gone when employees log in from their own router at home. There is a higher risk because a central IT department can’t protect them.

In this article, we will go over some of the strategies the trucking industry can use to protect itself against cybercriminals. The trucking industry is a vital part of the economy, and it is essential that it is protected from those who would do it harm. Here are some of the ways that the trucking industry can protect itself against cybercrime:

Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in the Trucking Industry

In the trucking industry, the surface that can be accessed by hackers is always growing and includes:

• CAN bus (Controller Area Network) exploits on vehicles
• Satellite, wireless, cellular, and Bluetooth connectivity
• Networks and platforms that are accessible via the internet

When discussing attack surface, you need to consider the entire ecosystem. This includes not only the obvious devices and services that connect to the internet, but also the less obvious ones. For example, the trucking industry uses web-based platforms like GoToMeeting or SalesForce, which are also points of connection that can be exploited by cybercriminals.

Although technology vulnerabilities can be a problem, sometimes human behavior is the root cause. For example, during a penetration test at a trucking company, the cybersecurity engineer could not get into the company’s systems. However, by calling the company’s primary phone line and searching the directory, he found an employee whose outgoing voicemail stated they would be away on vacation for two weeks. The engineer then called the company’s IT department pretending to be that employee, had problems logging in remotely, and needed help getting access.

Conduct an Assessment

There are several ways that trucking companies can assess their cybersecurity vulnerabilities. These assessments can be done both internally and by hiring outside help, and should be conducted at least once per year. By doing these assessments, companies can identify potential weak points in their system and work to fix them before they are exploited.

Penetration testing is a process where an external entity tests a company’s systems to identify vulnerabilities. The tester, known as a white-hat hacker or ethical hacker, does this without the knowledge of the company’s IT department so that the results are not biased. Penetration testing can uncover vulnerabilities that internal assessments may have missed. This type of testing should be conducted at least annually, if not every couple of years.

Before conducting penetration testing, ethical hackers sign non-disclosure agreements. They conduct a series of tests and write a report with their feedback. This feedback can then be passed to the company’s IT department to fix the vulnerabilities that were uncovered.

Get Insurance

As cyberattacks become more common, companies will increasingly need cybersecurity insurance to protect themselves. This type of insurance will cover things like assessments, employee training, and appropriate protocols in the event of a cyberattack. By having this insurance in place, companies can show their clients and partners that they are serious about protecting their data and business operations.

Cybercriminals are interested in gathering data on truck whereabouts to steal valuable goods. While not all cybercriminals are out to steal data, some simply want to create disruptions, which can result in substantial costs to trucking companies and their clients. As a result, security measures should be put in place even before the driver steps inside the vehicle. Employees should be provided with training on fundamental security problems so they understand why specific protocols must be followed at all times and what to do if their cargo is stolen.

Prioritize Risks

Trucking companies can use a risk management framework to identify and protect themselves from potential attacks. By plotting vulnerabilities on a graph with the likelihood of an attack on one axis and the potential impact of the attack on the other, trucking companies can create a plan to reduce their risk.

The items that are most likely to cause harm and are in the upper-right-hand quadrant need to be addressed first. Trucking companies only have a finite amount of resources they can invest in security, so it’s essential to identify the most critical vulnerabilities and develop a mitigation plan for them.

Make a Plan for Dealing with Cyberattacks

In the event of a cyberattack, it is crucial to know what to do. An incident response plan should answer the following questions:

• Who is in charge of security?
• Who will get notified?
• Who is on the company’s response team?
• Who will conduct the investigation?
• Will the trucking company pay the ransom?

If a cybercriminal finds a single vulnerability, they will likely look for it in multiple systems and exploit it multiple times. Automated exploitation is used in approximately 70% of cyber-attacks. This is a sophisticated underground business model, and our goal is to disrupt its economic incentive.

The military provides a good example of how changing software can thwart cyberattacks. Drones in the military use the same software, which makes them vulnerable to the same attack. However, by changing the software so that each drone needs to be approached differently, the military can significantly increase the amount of time cybercriminals need to invest and, therefore, decrease their economic incentive.