Auto dealers and their stock of high-value vehicles face a constant threat from car criminals. But the risk doesn’t end at the dealership, with in-transit vehicles, dealers’ IT systems and security systems also a target for increasingly sophisticated criminals.
Preventing Car Crime on and Beyond the Dealership
Car crime, especially targeted theft for specific vehicles, is a boom industry, with auto theft rising even as general crime trends are falling. To protect staff, dealership properties and vehicles, a comprehensive and layered security system is required.
This starts with the physical security, that most dealerships already use. With rising security posts and bollards to limit opportunities to move vehicles off the lot. Inside vehicles, physical wheel locks, handbrake locks and other methods can prevent theft, while hidden trackers can help locate and recover vehicles. Around the premises, warehouse, maintenance bays and other areas, a full auto dealership security system consisting of smart cameras, motion and audio sensors, automated security lighting and access control makes it easier to identify suspicious behavior and alert staff or security to issues.
Added security within office spaces can also prevent internal crime, theft and deter workers from attempting anything, creating a safer, more secure environment for the business. Modern systems have advanced cameras to identify suspects (distinctive tattoos, clothing or tools they use) for evidence purposes. AI-powered analytics can track suspicious activity around the premises, creating a chain of evidence if the same cars and people are regularly monitoring the premises ahead of an attempted crime.
Protecting Dealership Digital Systems
A digital security system will see more advanced criminals try to disable or hack it before they attempt enter the premises. Therefore, digital security should also play a key part in the protection umbrella, with the zero-trust approach a powerful way to protect business data and security systems from intrusion.
It is remarkably easy for a criminal, posing as a customer, to plug a malware-infected USB stick into a computer, network port or gain access by other means. All staff should be trained on the risks, and any laptops, tablets or other devices should be treated as highly vulnerable to attack, just as much as the dealership stock. Staff should also be vetted through digital means and third-party services to ensure they can be trusted within the business.
Protecting Stock in Transit
There are a large number of vehicles moving between dealers, to and from customers, and waiting in storage. This creates a huge opportunity for criminals. They will expect trackers and other security measures, so dealers and their partners have to look for a smarter way to defend and protect vehicles.
This can include multiple trackers, including battery-operated models and tiny consumer tags that are almost impossible to find within a vehicle, and use mobile networks to provide an accurate location.
In the near future, vehicles will also be protected through Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication networks that instantly report in real-time attempted thefts from homes and dealers before the criminals can get far. Ubiquitous video in cars will also record the criminals, and where they are going, even if they try to disable smart systems. Finally, for high-value vehicles, aftermarket systems like SmarTrack, Viper or Autowatch Ghost with immobilizers add another layer of security to protect the vehicle and deter theft. Even then, some criminals will attempt to tow or lift vehicles, so these need to be made as inaccessible as possible, away from public highways and protected by dealership anti-theft measures to limit the opportunities.
Preventing Auto Theft Must be a Priority
Whatever the size of your business, from a single lot to a local or regional franchise, taking every step possible to prevent auto theft is the best way to keep yourself safe. Criminals are typically after easy pickings and will head elsewhere when they see a well-fortified and smartly protected operation.
For criminals after a specific vehicle or type (for example, Range Rovers, BMWs and performance sports cars), making those models as hard to lift as possible should deter most auto thieves. And if they do manage to get away with the vehicle, having the technology in place to identify and track the vehicle, and provide evidence to the authorities for a quick trace, recovery, and a possible arrest will limit the likelihood of the vehicle vanishing forever.
Some cars, around 10 percent according to reports, are moved straight out of the country, others are resprayed and reprogrammed to cloud their original identity. In these cases, even a tiny tracker buried in the furnishings can help locate a vehicle wherever it turns up next. Car crime will only get worse, especially for “vintage” or “modern classic” models, as smart electric car theft becomes harder due to their advanced security and tracking features. So, protecting your dealership with the latest technology is the best way to keep cars on the lot.
Related Stories: