Description

Automotive behemoth Stellantis has confirmed a recent breach involving its North American customer service systems. The breach was due to unauthorized access to the platform of a third-party service provider supporting Stellantis' customer service infrastructure. Vehicle brands owned by Stellantis, such as Jeep, Fiat, Chrysler, and Citroën, were potentially affected. The leaked information, according to the company, was restricted to contact information and did not involve financial or highly sensitive personal information. Stellantis has triggered its incident response procedures and is closely collaborating with authorities as the inquiry proceeds. While the automaker declined to indicate how many customers were impacted, it is personally alerting those affected and urging all customers to remain vigilant for phishing emails. The company pointed out that no sensitive information seems to have been obtained, but cautioned that the exposed contact data may nevertheless be abused in cyber fraud. This attack contributes to a rising trend of cyber attacks in the automotive industry, which has become more and more vulnerable due to its digitalization. Connected vehicle services, customer portals, and backend systems provide several entry points for exploitation by malicious actors. Jaguar Land Rover also suffered a severe cybersecurity attack earlier this month that interrupted business and halted factories, underscoring the general risk facing the sector. As cars and their associated digital ecosystems grow more integrated, the auto industry needs to fortify its cybersecurity. Such incidents highlight the need for proactive security measures to protect customer information as well as business continuity. Stellantis has asked customers to watch communications closely and report any suspicious messages as the investigation continues.