Upstream’s latest Automotive & Smart Mobility Global Cybersecurity Report finds ransom-related incidents accounted for 44% of publicly reported auto industry cyberattacks in 2025, double the previous year’s rate.

Analysts blame the trend on the rapid adoption of new technology and increasingly sophisticated and well-organized criminals.

“The rapid adoption of AI, including generative AI and large language models, is fundamentally changing how cybersecurity risks emerge in automotive and smart mobility environments,” the report states. “AI-driven systems now span vehicles, cloud platforms, backend services and APIs, creating dynamic, context-aware attack paths that evolve continuously.”

Analysts note 68% of ransom-related incidents led to data or privacy breaches and 34% created business or service disruptions. They warn against partnering with providers whose systems lack built-in safeguards.

“As organized threat actors increasingly exploited AI-driven backend platforms and APIs, ransom incidents shifted from isolated disruptions to ecosystem-level events capable of impacting operations, services and mobility data at scale.”

Read more at Upstream