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 Just how secure is your customer data?

In this age of constant connectivity, it is more important than ever to safeguard sensitive client information.  With recent reports of hackers targeting large automotive groups, now is the time to make sure your data is safeguarded.

The automotive industry deals with a vast amount of sensitive data, from customer information and financial details to vehicle and warranty information. Because of this, it is essential for companies to have a robust encryption solution in place to protect this data and comply with data privacy regulations. 

Salesforce Shield offers several key benefits for companies that can help them address their data security needs and overcome common business challenges.

What are the consequences of not protecting your data?

Over the last number of years, there have been numerous reports of data breaches and failures to comply with privacy regulations within the automotive industry (I’m not going to call out any specific company on this forum, but these can be easily found online). 

• In 2020, a major car company had a data breach that exposed sensitive customer data including hundreds of thousands of names, email & home addresses, phone numbers and more. 
• In 2018, a dealership had a data breach in which sensitive financial information, such as credit scores and loan information, was compromised.
• In 2017, a car rental company was fined for failing to comply with data privacy regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), resulting in non-compliance and a significant fine. 
• In 2016, another big car company had a security breach that let sensitive information about vehicles, including ownership and warranty information, get out.

This is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg. Every day, there are hackers around the world looking to attack businesses of all sizes. These types of incidents have serious consequences and can cause significant, if not terminal, damage to a company's reputation, and result in a loss of trust from customers.

How can you combat these nefarious attacks?

Salesforce Shield is a powerful encryption tool that helps businesses protect their sensitive data on the Salesforce platform.

Salesforce Shield's primary value is in its ability to keep private customer data safe. In order for businesses to keep the trust of their customers, Salesforce Shield uses complex encryption algorithms to prevent data breaches and unauthorised access to sensitive information. This can include both personal information like name, address, and contact information as well as financial data like credit scores and loan details.  

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Compliance with various data privacy laws is another important benefit of Salesforce Shield for automotive businesses. Companies must protect personal data under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), for instance, and under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), businesses must disclose the categories of personal information they collect, use, and share. Salesforce Shield gives businesses a set of tools that help them follow these rules, like the ability to encrypt data while it's at rest, encrypt data while it's in transit, as well as control who can see sensitive data.

In addition to these fundamental capabilities, Salesforce Shield also offers a variety of additional features that can help businesses fulfil their security requirements. These include:

• Event monitoring: This function gives businesses the ability to monitor user activity on the Salesforce platform. This is useful for spotting potential security risks and taking preventative measures against them.
• Audit trails: By monitoring and documenting any and all modifications made to sensitive information, businesses can detect and prevent any unauthorized access.
• Key Management: Organisations can keep their encrypted data safe by using Salesforce Shield's built-in key management feature. This feature can be used to create, store, and manage encryption keys, which helps to ensure that data is protected and can only be accessed by authorized users.
• Governance: With the help of this feature, businesses can establish rules and safeguards to make sure that only vetted personnel have access to sensitive information and that it is protected in line with legal requirements.
• Platform encryption: This feature enables businesses to encrypt data both in transit and at rest, thereby preventing unauthorized access to sensitive data.
• Einstein Data Detect: Einstein Data Detect monitors your Salesforce database for sensitive data using five data patterns: credit card numbers, emails, social security numbers, URLs, IP addresses, etc.
• Data Mask: Data masking is a feature that can be used to conceal sensitive information in Salesforce, such as personal data or financial information. It allows developers to mask sensitive data in Salesforce environments, such as sandboxes, to ensure that it is not visible to unauthorised users. It is not typically included in the standard Salesforce packages, but it can be added as an additional service or feature through the Salesforce AppExchange or through a third-party vendor.

When it comes to discussing Salesforce Shield internally, it's important to ask questions that will help trigger a conversation and understand your specific needs. Some key questions to ask include:

• What kind of sensitive data do we need to protect in our Salesforce platform?
• What data privacy regulations do we need to comply with?
• What are our current data security challenges?
• How do we currently monitor and track user activity in our Salesforce platform?
• How do we currently track changes made to sensitive data?

The future of data security in the auto industry

Technology has created a more connected world where new risks to our personal data emerge every day.

A growing number of auto manufacturers are realising just how valuable their data is, thanks to the trend toward greater connectivity and automation. 

Salesforce Shield Platform allows companies to protect their most essential asset—data—and ensures compliance with regulations such as GDPR. Salesforce Shield Platform is helping companies of all sizes address their data security needs and maintain the trust of their customers. 

Though automakers often perceive cybersecurity as an area where they cannot cut costs due to compliance regulations and rising threats, they may find that they don't necessarily have to spend more money to keep their data safe; rather, they can use Salesforce Shield Platform's innovative approach to encryption as a strategic way to control costs.

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