Total FTC Safeguards Compliance for Auto Dealerships

Protect Your License, Your Data, and Your Reputation

The updated FTC Safeguards Rule isn't a suggestion—it’s a requirement for any dealership that offers financing or leasing. If you haven't designated a Qualified Individual or performed your Annual Risk Assessment, you are currently operating at significant legal and financial risk.

Timber Island Technologies provides a turn-key compliance ecosystem that takes the burden of GLBA off your desk and into an automated, audit-ready platform.

1. Your "Qualified Individual" (vCISO)

The Requirement: Every dealership must designate a single person to oversee the security program. Our Solution: We act as your Designated Information Security Lead. We don't just "check boxes"; we manage your entire program, reporting directly to your leadership to ensure compliance is baked into your daily operations.

Timber Island Technologies provides the Qualified Individual required by the FTC Safeguards Rule to oversee, implement, and enforce your dealership’s information security program.

2. Annual Risk Assessments & Remediation

The Requirement: You must perform a written risk assessment annually and after any major change to your network. Our Solution: Powered by ComplianceAide, we deliver a comprehensive, Board-ready Risk Assessment.

• Gap Analysis: We identify exactly where your DMS and internal processes fall short of FTC standards.

• Remediation Roadmap: We provide the technical steps to fix vulnerabilities, ensuring your dealership stays compliant and secure.

3. Managed Third-Party (Vendor) Oversight

The Requirement: You are legally responsible for the security of the vendors you share customer data with. Our Solution: We utilize Black Kite to automate your vendor due diligence.

• DMS & CRM Security: We vet your software providers to ensure their security posture matches your own.

• Continuous Monitoring: We track your vendors 24/7, notifying you the moment a third-party risk threatens your dealership's data.

4. Defensive Validation: Automated Pen Testing

The Requirement: The FTC requires regular monitoring and testing of your safeguards’ effectiveness. Our Solution: We deploy BlackLock for continuous, automated penetration testing.

• Active Testing: We simulate real-world attacks against your external network to find exploitable holes before they result in a "dealer-wide" outage.

The Operational Guardrail: Managed Patching & XDR

The Safeguards Rule specifically demands that you keep your systems updated and monitor for unauthorized access.

Automation via Automox & Bitdefender

• Instant Patch Management: Automox ensures that every PC on your showroom floor and in your service bay is patched within minutes of a security release.

• Advanced XDR: Bitdefender provides the 24/7 detection and response needed to stop ransomware from locking down your dealership.

Don't Wait for an FTC Audit.

A single Safeguards violation can cost up to $51,744 per violation. Timber Island Technologies provides the expertise and the tech stack to ensure your dealership remains a fortress.