Half of automotive employees say they personally don’t have to worry about security at work

Almost two-thirds access work documents or systems from their personal device

Almost half think that generative AI is safe to use at work, with already 42% having experimented with it for work

Nearly a third (30%) of automotive employees don’t check security protocols before trying a new tool, according to a new Salesforce survey of 400 automotive employees. This could put their company and customer data at risk. 

Cybersecurity is a growing concern in the automotive industry, particularly as companies store and use exponentially more data to power connected car features. According to Upstream, the number of automotive API attacks increased by 380% last year alone. And, more than a third (34%) of automotive employees in Salesforce’s survey said their company receives more security threats now than two years ago. 

According to Upstream, the number of automotive API attacks increased by 380% last year alone. 

Salesforce’s New Era of Data Stewardship in Automotive research explores the implications of gaps between company security efforts and employee actions, and reveals a need for automotive organizations to empower employees with trusted, easy-to-use technologies.  

Automotive employee security practices may put companies and customers at risk

A large number (42%) of employees in the automotive industry have experimented with generative AI for work, compared to 15% in healthcare and 12% in government agencies. 

As the industry transitions to software-defined vehicles and adopts new technologies to digitize and personalize customer experiences, it becomes increasingly important to protect sensitive information about vehicles, drivers, and passengers. The research shows that there’s a long road ahead:

• Almost half (49%) of automotive employees think that generative AI, like ChatGPT and DALL-E, is safe to use at work.
• Nearly the same amount (50%) say they personally don’t have to worry about security at work.

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Tools and devices are a particular area of concern as the industry continues to digitize:

• Just 44% of automotive employees consider their connected devices (e.g., mobile phone, laptops) to be a cybersecurity risk.
• Almost two-thirds (64%) access work documents or systems from a personal device (e.g., mobile phone, laptop). 
• More than two-thirds (68%) assume if they can access something on their work device, it must be safe.
• And, 63% believe their personal devices are as secure as their work devices.

“As cars become increasingly connected and the automotive industry continues to digitize its operations, more data will be generated that will open the industry up to increased risk,” said Achyut Jajoo, SVP and GM of Automotive and Manufacturing, Salesforce. “It is important that automotive employees understand the importance of cyber hygiene and take a proactive approach to data security.”

It is important that automotive employees understand the importance of cyber hygiene and take a proactive approach to data security.

Achyut Jajoo, SVP and GM of Automotive and Manufacturing, Salesforce

Companies must refine training to prepare for a connected future

Employees are only one piece of the puzzle. While 72% of automotive employees say they have a security-first culture, and 74% say their company has the tools needed to keep data secure, 21% say that security protocols are not strictly enforced.

Company-sponsored training is the natural course of action to close these gaps, and a majority (71%) say they have the training needed to keep data secure. However, the training itself needs a revamp to keep security top-of-mind and working in practice, according to the data:

• One in five (20%) automotive employees don’t find security training to be valuable, and the same number don’t find it relevant to their job. 
• Over a quarter (26%) don’t know what to do in the event of a breach.
• More than a quarter (29%) have accidentally clicked on a suspicious link at work.
• More than a third (35%) use the same passwords for personal and work-related logins.
• Just 35% use multi-factor authentication every time.
• And one in five (20%) never use VPN for online work.

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“Automotive companies can foster a strong culture of trust and security by continuously engaging their employees to protect customer and company information. And they can empower them with regularly updated and patched technologies built with security at their core,” continued Jajoo. 

More information

• Learn about the latest innovations in Salesforce Automotive Cloud here
• Hear how Salesforce will power the future of software-defined vehicles from Achyut Jajoo, SVP & GM of Manufacturing & Automotive at Salesforce, here
• Read how data can help create a new vehicle experience for customers here
• Read Salesforce’s New Era of Data Stewardship survey results from the government and healthcare industries
• Review findings from the Generative AI in IT survey, which uncovers opportunities and barriers like security to generative AI adoption 
• Learn more about the digital skills gap and how companies can narrow it

Research methodology

Data from Salesforce’s New Era in Data Stewardship is based on a survey of 1,230 full-time employees within automotive (400 respondents), government (412 respondents), and healthcare (418 respondents) across the U.S. The survey was conducted in partnership with YouGov in March 2023.