Trucking Technology Increasing Carriers’ Exposure to Cyberattacks

As trucks become more connected and technology permeates the industry, trucking companies are becoming increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks.

“Every connected device expands our attack surface,” said Ben Barnes, chief information officer at McLeod Software. He was speaking during a panel on cybersecurity at the American Trucking Associations Management Conference & Exhibition last week. Joining him for the discussion were Joe Russo, vice-president, IT and security with Isaac Instruments, and John Paape, chief information officer with Roehl Transport.

Cyberattacks are costing the U.S. trucking industry $35 billion annually and the sophistication behind these attacks is increasing.

Paape said the trucking industry is a natural target since it’s moving a tremendous amount of data, from driver files and personal information to details on the critical loads it’s moving. The fragmentation of the trucking industry adds to its vulnerability, with many small and mid-sized carriers that don’t necessarily have the financial resources to sufficiently address security, Paape noted. The use of third-party vendors makes fleets even more exposed, added Russo.

“Look at your supply chain. You rely on many third parties to supply you with the technology that drives your back office, your front office. On top of this, you layer ELDs, telematics, and all of this just multiplies the attack surface,” he warned.

A fleet is only as secure as the weakest link in its chain, panelists agreed, which could be a vendor with insufficient cybersecurity protections in place. “You can have the best security software within your department, the best people monitoring security, at the end of the day, your weakest link is your vendor that doesn’t have the right security practices in place,” Russo said.

Read more in an article from Today's Trucking.