Auto industry faces rising cyber threats as massive-scale attacks triple: report

A new report reveals that despite numerous regulatory measures put in place to secure the transmission of data online, the number of cyber attacks continues to grow—impacting everything from vehicles to connected devices. 

The details: The findings—part of the 2025 Automotive & Smart Mobility Cybersecurity Report done by Upstream Security—suggest that the automotive and mobility industries have a false sense of security and resilience.

• 60% of cyber incidents were data and privacy-related in 2024, up 20% from 2023.

• Researchers found massive-scale incidents (events impacting millions of vehicles) more than tripled—rising from 5% in 2023 to 19% in 2024.

Between the lines: Concerns over cybersecurity breaches reached a new height following the ransomware attack of CDK Global that impacted thousands of dealerships, with estimated losses totaling around $1 billion. It’s a prime example of how sophisticated, wide-reaching, and fast the threats are getting.

• 65% of publicly reported cyber incidents were carried out by “black hat” actors, meaning that the intent of the hacks is malicious.

• Additionally, researchers found that 92% of attacks were executed remotely, 85% of which were long-range and did not require any physical proximity to the targeted asset. 

• The number of telematics and application server attacks also rose from 43% in 2023 to 66% in 2024.  

Zooming in: The number of ransomware attacks targeting vehicles is also on the rise, giving credence to consumer concerns about the growing amount of software being integrated into vehicles and data breaches overall.    

• The percentage of incidents involving car system manipulation and control of vehicle systems increased dramatically in 2024, accounting for over 35% of incidents. 

• A recent study by Acronis found that data breaches are a major consumer concern, with 64% naming breaches as their top privacy worry.

Why it matters: The surge in large-scale cyberattacks—from vehicle takeovers to EV charger breaches—reveals that regulatory measures alone aren’t enough, but it’s also driving action. Dealers, shaken by the CDK Global ransomware attack, are exploring safeguards like offline backups to maintain access to critical data. Meanwhile, integrated system providers are under pressure to strengthen defenses as remote, AI-powered attacks on vehicles, telematics, and mobility platforms grow more frequent.

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