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Low-Cost Steps Can Prepare For, Prevent Cybersecurity Disruptions by John Yoswick Autobody News
Collision repair shops of all sizes in 2024 likely felt the impact of a cyberattack, albeit indirectly. Two such attacks on CDK Global over the summer hindered parts departments and body shop operations at thousands of dealerships around the country.
had no direct connectivity, but our operations were stopped and we had to pull people off of projects. And it took us months to clean that up.” It demonstrated how deep the connection is among shops and suppliers, she said, and it prompted Caliber to look more closely at all of its dependencies and planning what it would do “if another CDK happened.”
Vol. 14 / Issue 5 / February 2025
REGIONAL NEWS
Michigan Law Setting Liability Framework for Car Sharing Could Impact Shops By Brian Bradley Autobody News
Before it ended its last legislative session in December, the Michigan Legislature passed a three-bill package that will establish broad peer-to-peer car sharing regulations in the state if Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signs it into law. The bill was presented to Whitmer for signature on Jan. 8 and awaited her signature as of late Jan. 9. In instances of car sharing, the legislation would assign drivers — not car owners — with financial injury liability if any damage occurs while they are operating the shared vehicle. But specific circumstances for
P2P car
determining the liable party can get murky, according to Erica Eversman, an attorney and founder of the nonprofit Automotive Education & Policy Institute, which seeks to improve the safety of the collision repair process and improve relationships between repairers and insurers. l CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
A panel discussion on cybersecurity at the MSO Symposium included, from left: Caliber Collision’s Ashley Denison, Spencer Colemere of Cisco, Jerry Davis of Microsoft and Kyle Rankin of CCC Intelligent Solutions.
The disruption also affected independent collision repairers who order parts from those dealers -- a good example of how cybersecurity at shops goes beyond securing their own systems and data. “CDK was like a fifth-level supplier to us. It was not on our radar, but it had such a big impact,” Ashley Denison, chief information officer for Caliber Collision, acknowledged during a panel discussion on data security at the MSO Symposium in Las Vegas. “Our shops couldn’t order parts. We had to make sure that [our systems] were safe and secure and
“It’s not just about protecting Caliber, but how do we react when something outside of Caliber happens,” Denison said. Think about what your company would do, she suggested, if, say, CCC Intelligent Solutions had a similar issue and went down for days or weeks. “What would you do to continue to bring revenue into your locations?” Denison asked. “So thinking through all those pieces of the chain from revenue and suppliers, and either l CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
REGIONAL NEWS
AASPMN, MNCARS Provide Students With EV Kits The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Minnesota (AASPMN) and the Minnesota Careers in Automotive Repair and Service (MNCARS) announced the launch of a groundbreaking $50,000 Electric Vehicle (EV) Scholarship Program for Minnesota schools, teachers and students. This initiative, in partnership with Infento, a provider of innovative EV STEM construction kits, and H2I Group, a specialist in technical education spaces, aims to foster
a new generation of automotive professionals equipped with the skills needed to repair the amazingly advanced vehicles of tomorrow. The automotive industry relies on a workforce that can turn a wrench while fixing a computer. Electric, connected and autonomous vehicles are just the beginning of the disruptive technologies the middle school students of today are sure to see in their lifetime. The scholarship will be facilitated l CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
INSIDE THIS ISSUE 9
Mike Anderson: 10 Things I’d Like to See in 2025 in the Collision
30
Abby Andrews: The Cost of Contamination: How to Clean Up Your
Repair Industry
Paint Department to Drive Profit
40
Stacey Phillips Ronak: AI Will Augment – Not Replace – Invaluable Role of ‘Human Intelligence’ in Collision Industry
34
John Yoswick: Automaker Details Repair Procedure Development, Says It Will Audit Certified Shops
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