Cyberattacks on dealerships have declined in frequency, but the threats that remain are growing more sophisticated — and AI is making them harder to detect, according to CDK’s 2026 Cybersecurity at the Dealership study.

Email phishing has overtaken ransomware as the most common cybersecurity concern among dealers, with many reporting attacks that appear increasingly legitimate and difficult to distinguish from genuine communications, CDK analysts say. At the same time, AI adoption has become widespread across dealership operations, creating what the study describes as a significant gap between usage and governance — a finding that points to the urgent need for stronger policies, employee education and a threat assessment protocol.

“Cybersecurity threats continue to evolve, and dealerships are feeling the pressure,” CDK analysts say in the report. “While the number of reported cyberattacks has declined, concerns about emerging threats, particularly those driven by AI, are growing rapidly.”

Read the full report at CDK