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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Cyber Attacks A Growing Threat To Trucking In Today’s World

 

The number of cyber attacks aimed at the trucking and logistics industries is real and growing and each attack has the potential to cripple a company, according to a panel of experts at the Fleet Data Management and Cybersecurity Conference. 

They added 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.

Small and midsize businesses are especially vulnerable because crooks look at them as low-hanging fruit, said Randy Goggans, co-founder of ThreatAdvice, a firm that markets security software and advises firms on fighting computer-based attacks.

“This is an organized crime. It’s sophisticated, it’s real and they are after you,” said Goggans.

The most common attack methods are through phishing via email, smishing via text messages and vishing by using phones, often targeting a fleet’s finance or accounting department.

A criminal may seek the truck to steal its freight, to shut it down or to control it in some way. Another threat is the nearly-everywhere Wi-Fi as this information can be intercepted and used for gain. Busy truck stops with Wi-Fi can be a goldmine for cyber crooks.