Imagine coming into work one day, firing up your computer and seeing the following message pop up onto your screen:

Your files have been encrypted by TeslaCrypt. Your documents, photos, database and other important files have been encrypted. Private decryption key is stored on a secret Internet server and nobody can decrypt your files until you pay and obtain the private key.

You have 96 hours to submit the payment. If you do not send $18,000 in bitcoins within provided time, all your files will be permanently crypted and no-one will be able to recover them.

This type of "hack attack" is known as ransomware, and incidents in the past year have skyrocketed. In March of this year the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a cyber alert warning because of the recent surge in attacks. Thousands of hospitals, government agencies and private businesses, both large and small, have been attacked. In 2015, more than 2,500 cases of ransomware were reported and victims paid over $24 million to attackers.

Private security firms expect the crisis to worsen as hackers become more sophisticated and because a majority of businesses haven't adopted proper security measures.

For dealerships, it's not a matter of if you'll be attacked, but when. We work with many dealerships and have seen (and fortunately have been able to prevent) hundreds of ransomware attack attempts.

How Does Ransomware Work?

Ransomware typically infiltrates a computer network when an employee clicks on an infected email attachment. Emails that are sent by hackers are fairly sophisticated, targeting employees by name and including content that looks legitimate, such as an invoice from a supplier. Many versions of ransomware can circumvent anti-virus or anti-malware programs installed on PCs, especially if they are not kept updated.

Alternately a legitimate looking email will include a link. One example that has circulated is an email that looks like it's from FedEx and includes a tracking number. The employee clicks on the link which leads them to a malicious website. If the employee's computer software has not been "patched" with the most recent software updates, the ransomware can infect the user's computer from the website.

Once inside your dealership's computer network, ransomware lies dormant for a period of days or even weeks...until it doesn't. Back-ups of your data performed during this period of dormancy will also back-up the ransomware. Once the ransomware goes "live," your most recent back-ups will also be encrypted, so it will be impossible to restore your files from your most recent back-ups.

At this point you have two miserable choices. Lose years worth of files and data or pay the ransom. The majority of hackers demand the ransom in bitcoins, a form of electronic currency that's untraceable.

The Only Offense is Defense

The only way to stop a ransomware attack is prevention. Here are three recommendations that will help your dealership:

1) Notify employees. All employees should be aware of the dangers of ransomware. Under no circumstances should employees click on an email link or download an email attachment from a source they are not familiar with.

2) 90-day backup retention. Most dealerships back up their data, but typically back ups are stored for a period of seven to 30 days. We recommend back up retention of 90 days. Also, all backups should be stored in a separate, isolated location that's not connected to your computer network. Backing up to the cloud is more secure than backing up to an internal server.

3) Install anti-virus and anti-malware software on every PC. Once installed, be sure to keep the software updated (setting it to auto updates is best)! The brand we currently recommend is Webroot. We have seen Webroot repel hundreds of ransomware attacks.

4) Keep your Microsoft Operating Software on all PCs updated. Many dealerships don't regularly update their OS software, which increases vulnerability to attacks.

If Your Dealership is Attacked

If your dealership has been victimized by ransomware, contact your local FBI field office and report the incident to the Bureau's Internet Crime Complaint Center. The FBI doesn't support paying a ransom because there's no guarantee that you will get your data back. In some cases, businesses have paid the ransom and never received their decryption key.

The growing ransomware threat is real and dangerous. The good news is, protecting your dealership's data isn't difficult or expensive. It's just a matter of knowing what to look out for and staying vigilant.

The well-known book Who Moved My Cheese tells a story about change; how change is inevitable and how we all need to adapt and adjust our attitudes to change...or perish. In the last ten years the most powerful agent of change in dealerships has been technology. Think about how technology, in all its forms, has changed the way your business operates.

But we're not done yet, folks.

This time it's the manufacturers who are moving the cheese. Honda recently announced a new “Service WiFi Network and Internet Speed Requirement” that sets minimum levels of both Internet connectivity and WiFi coverage in the shop areas. It also provides for inspections to ensure that dealers are in compliance. Honda is just the latest manufacturer following other OEMs such as Ford and Mercedes-Benz to require enterprise-class wireless and minimum bandwidth in the dealership.

Although many dealers have made great progress on getting current with wireless coverage, there is still much work to be done. Wireless is a quickly changing technology and utilization is growing exponentially. A dealer principle recently asked me if I recommended attempting to curb or restrict usage or to just buy more bandwidth?

The recommendation is a resounding “throw bandwidth at it”. While recreational use contributes to some Internet traffic growth, the overwhelming volume is business related.

More Connected Devices

The Internet of Things describes the explosion of connected devices. In dealerships it's the customers and employees who are all connecting to your WiFi with their personal and work devices. But it's also vehicle computer system updates, mobile tablets, battery testers, alignment machines and even your soda machines!

A recent projection by Cisco estimates that the total number of connected devices will grow over 250% in the next three years.

Until the last couple years, your service department didn't need this massive amount of Internet and WiFi bandwidth. But it does now, and it will need nearly three times as much in the next three years. Trying to restrict usage of WiFi won't work. WiFi is necessary for your shop's mission-critical applications and to provide a customer experience that your customers not only expect, but demand.

So if your manufacturer sends a directive on how much WiFi your shop needs, don't just upgrade to the minimum. Triple it, unless you're willing to do it all over again in two years.

Enterprise Bandwidth Needed

Many dealerships are still using Small Office/Home Office (SoHo) Internet services provided as a low cost connectivity option over residential networks. While this has been a successful strategy in years past, we have observed serious issues for dealers who continue to use this service.

Every dealership should be contacting their carriers--whether phone, cable or utility companies--and asking for enterprise level Internet connectivity. Usually this is provided over fiber optics. The cost of fiber optics has dropped dramatically due to increased competition, so if you thought it was too expensive a year ago when you checked into it, try again. In many areas a carrier can bring a fiber optic cable right into your server room.

The final thing to consider is network speed. Even if you have a dozen wireless nodes in your service department, the data may not get through them fast enough if your network switches are out of date. A new wireless node may have a throughput of 300 units but your switch may only be able to deliver 100 units.

As you're searching for your new cheese, just remember: once you find it, don't expect it to stay there. If it's technology related, the cheese will continue to move. Don't resist; embrace and adapt. Your dealership's operational efficiency, competitive advantage and customer satisfaction are all counting on it.

Timonium, MD -- April 25th, 2016 -- Helion Technologies, a leading provider of information technology (IT) solutions for auto and truck dealers, announced today the addition of the Rosner Auto Group, based in Virginia and Florida, to its list of clientele. The Rosner Auto Group was formerly an eight-store dealership group with a body shop. In June 2015, the owners decided to sell two stores and split the remainder of the group into two business entities. Helion was retained by the new, three-store Rosner Auto Group to help with the transition and to provide ongoing IT services.

"When the group split, one of the biggest challenges we faced was separating the information technology (IT) infrastructure," said Jackie Solomon, COO/CFO of the Rosner Auto Group. "All of the systems including the phone, computer networks, our dealership management system and other software were interconnected. The original group's CIO and the rest of the IT team were staying with the other group, so the new Rosner Auto Group suddenly didn't have any IT resources."

Solomon was familiar with Helion Technologies' services from a previous meeting with them years earlier. She reached out to Helion and was pleased with the fast response. "They came immediately when I sent out the SOS flag. It was very comforting to have their instant expertise, because there's no way I could have hired someone at the level I needed to separate and secure all of our stores' systems. It was a huge job and needed to be done quickly."

As the leading provider of managed IT services to auto dealerships nationwide, Helion offers 24-hour monitoring, managing and problem resolution for dealerships' computers, servers, and networks.

Shortly after the Helion staff went to work separating and establishing the new Rosner Auto Group's IT network, Solomon decided to retain them on an ongoing basis. "I had a choice: hire a new IT staff or outsource," she said. "From my previous experience, I knew what it would cost monthly per store to maintain a full IT department. I would have had to hire two full-time people. When I did a cost analysis comparing that to Helion's services, it was very cost competitive."

Additionally, Solomon appreciated Helion's expertise and focus in the automotive industry. "All they do is work with dealerships so they have in-depth knowledge of our dealership management system, which gives us another resource when we have problems."

At first some of the Rosner Auto Group's employees objected to the idea of not having a full-time IT person. They were afraid of what would happen without a person on the ground to help them. "You'd be surprised how much the employees use the IT staff when they're here, but we don't really need them," said Solomon. "That was a cost benefit for us, when we realized we could use Helion's help desk and they can do 95 percent of the work from off site."

In the rare event that Rosner Auto Group needs replacement PCs or requires on site help, Helion sends one of its IT experts to install and/or resolve any issues.

Another benefit the Rosner Auto Group has realized using Helion is additional cost-savings with their carriers' contracts. In one of the group's Toyota stores, a contract with Verizon for a redundant line was set for renewal. "Between Comcast and Cox and the phone companies, it's difficult to know what you're looking at, with all the different types of fees," said Solomon. "Helion let us know we didn't really need this line any more, so we were able to eliminate that cost. Five months later we have not experienced any glitches with our phones."

Helion frequently renegotiates or makes recommendations concerning dealerships' phone and Internet carriers, ensuring that every store has the speed, security and level of resiliency it needs. Additionally, Helion's IT experts keep updated with certifications, industry knowledge and stay on top of DMS and other third-party vendor software updates.

"They are just a great resource to have for things that work or don't work in the industry," said Solomon. "If one person can't answer a question, they have two or three others who have seen that problem and can fix it, no problem."

For more information on Helion's managed IT services, contact 443-541-1500.

About Helion Technologies

Helion...Putting Your Dealership in the FAST LANE! Helion Automotive Technologies is a leading IT solutions provider, providing auto dealers with faster, more efficient networks and secure data protection. From managed services to IT assistance and service desk help, Helion offers both short-term IT fixes and long-term planning so dealers can focus on what matters most: selling more cars. Helion has specialized in IT for more than ten years and works with 650+ auto dealers nationwide. Dealers can request a free assessment of their IT needs at http://www.heliontechnologies.com.

Las Vegas, NV -- April 1st, 2016 -- Helion Technologies, a leading provider of information technology (IT) solutions for auto and truck dealers, announced today that it has added the Summit Truck Group to its list of clientele. The Summit Truck Group operates 33 commercial truck and bus dealerships in Arkansas, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. Helion was retained to manage the group's information technology (IT) infrastructure and to offer technical support to more than 1,400 Summit Truck Group employees.

"Summit Truck Group is a leader in the heavy duty truck industry, and one of its managements' goals is to deliver the best customer experience in the industry. The group recognizes that technology can support this goal and help them to gain competitive advantage, " said Erik Nachbahr, President of Helion Technologies. "We are thrilled to partner with Summit and to provide them with the services and support they need."

The partnership with Summit Truck Group represents a milestone for Helion as the technology provider expands from retail automotive into the heavy-duty trucking industry. As the leading provider of managed IT services to auto and truck dealerships nationwide, Helion offers 24-hour monitoring, managing and problem resolution for dealerships' computers, servers, and networks.

Additionally, Helion collaborates with dealerships' carrier partners to ensure adequate and resilient Internet connectivity and phone operations to support business goals. Helion also takes care of security, patch management, data backup, recovery and more.

"Partnering with Helion allows us to focus on running our dealerships without having to worry about interruptions due to technology issues," said Justin Fink, Chief Executive Officer of Summit Truck Group. "We chose Helion after due diligence because they offer best of breed technologies and support, as well as a thorough understanding of how technology plays an active role in our business model and strategic operations."

Summit Truck Group represents and services International®, Kenworth, Volvo, Mack, Ford, and Isuzu commercial trucks, and Crane Carrier specialty vehicles. Summit serves its customers with more than 1,400 employees, 475 technicians and over 475 service bays.

For more information on Helion's managed IT services, contact 443-541-1500. Or, stop by Helion's booth # 5816N at the NADA/ATD Convention and Expo in Las Vegas, NV. To make an appointment visit http://bit.ly/1Q3sHa9

About Summit Holdings

Summit Holdings is a privately-held company that does business as Summit Truck Group, Summit Bus, Summit Idealease, and Summit PacLease. The company operates 33 commercial truck and bus dealerships in Arkansas, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. Summit Truck Group represents and services International®, Kenworth, Volvo, Mack, Ford, and Isuzu commercial trucks, and Crane Carrier specialty vehicles. Summit Bus represents and services IC Bus™, ElDorado National, and other commercial bus brands. Commercial truck lease and rental, mobile and dedicated maintenance services are offered through 19 Idealease™ locations and 2 PacLease locations. Summit serves customers with more than 1,400 employees, 475 technicians, over 475 service bays, and over $31 million in all-makes stocked parts. Additional information can be found at www.summittruckgroup.com

About Helion Technologies

Helion...Putting Your Dealership in the FAST LANE! Helion Automotive and Trucking Technologies is a leading IT solutions provider, providing auto and truck dealers with faster, more efficient networks and secure data protection. From managed services to IT assistance and service desk help, Helion offers both short-term IT fixes and long-term planning so dealers can focus on what matters most: selling more vehicles. Helion has specialized in IT for more than ten years and works with 650+ dealerships nationwide. Dealers can request a free assessment of their IT needs at heliontechnologies.com

Timonium, MD -- March 28th, 2016-- Helion Automotive Technologies, a leading provider of information technology (IT) solutions for auto dealers, announced today the release of a free eBook. Five Technology Musts to Drive Auto Dealer Sales & Service Revenue reveals the five most critical information technology (IT) priorities for auto dealerships today, and how to optimize these technologies to increase revenue.

"Many dealers view technology as a money pit; as something that's required but doesn't deliver any return on investment," said Erik Nachbahr, President of  Helion Automotive Technologies. "In fact, nothing is further from the truth. Dealers should view their IT spending as an investment that can improve customer satisfaction and drive revenue to the bottom line."

With the right strategy, IT can deliver the following benefits:

• Ability to reach more customers
• Exceed customer expectations and develop better customer relations
• Support communications with vendors, partners and OEMs
• Analyze customer data and use results to guide decision-making
• Streamline operations and improve efficiencies
• Reduce costs by minimizing waste and maximizing profit
• Gain competitive advantage

Helion's eBook showcases five technologies that forward thinking dealers are investing in to increase revenue in sales and service. It reviews each technology, how it's used, how it delivers ROI and specific recommendations for how to implement.

To download a copy of Helion's free eBook, Five Technology Musts to Drive Sales & Service Revenue, click here: http://bit.ly/1QDdeww

To learn more about how technology can drive revenue at your dealership, visit booth #5816N at the NADA Convention & Expo in Las Vegas, NV, March 31st - April 3rd. Make an appointment here http://bit.ly/1Q3sHa9

About Helion Automotive Technologies

Helion...Putting Your Dealership in the FAST LANE! Helion Automotive Technologies is a leading IT solutions provider, providing auto dealers with faster, more efficient networks and secure data protection. From managed services to IT assistance and service desk help, Helion offers both short-term IT fixes and long-term planning so dealers can focus on what matters most: selling more cars. Helion has specialized in IT for more than ten years and works with 650+ auto dealers nationwide. Dealers can request a free assessment of their IT needs at www.heliontechnologies.com.

Timonium, MD – March 21st, 2016-- Helion Automotive Technologies, a leading provider of information technology (IT) solutions to auto dealerships, warns that the biggest security threat to auto dealerships is the employees. International crime organizations are targeting auto dealers, among other service businesses, with sophisticated and targeted email scams designed to trick unwitting employees into performing actions that make dealership networks vulnerable to attack.

"The increase in the number of organized attacks in the last year is astounding and auto dealers need to be on alert," said Erik Nachbahr, President of Helion. "In addition to the volume of attacks, the level of sophistication and research involved is frightening. Remember the emails from the dethroned princes from Nigeria? Hardly anybody fell for those, but many employees are falling for the tactics being used today."

Dozens of auto dealerships across the country have already fallen victim to hackers who have successfully managed to access the following information:

• Auto dealerships' bank account numbers, routing numbers and login credentials
• Customers' bank account numbers and routing numbers
• Customers' credit card numbers, addresses, social security numbers and credit scores

Employees who work in the accounting department and F&I departments are most at risk for being targeted by sophisticated email scams.

Here is a sampling of actual incidents:

A dealership controller received an email from someone who he thought was the dealer. The dealer requested a wire transfer of $30,000. After a few emails back and forth, the controller complied with the request. Unfortunately, the bank was not able to retrieve the $30,000.

A virus was downloaded in an email attachment onto the F&I Manager's computer. The virus tracked every website visited and every keystroke. Hackers were able to use the information to login into credit bureau sites and extract credit reports for over 200 customers before they were caught. This incident ultimately cost the dealer more than $150,000.

An accountant was tricked into visiting what he thought was Bank of America's website. The accountant was prompted to enter in login information, bank account numbers and other information that enabled hackers to initiate a $400,000 wire transfer. Fortunately, the real Bank of America was able to stop the transfer before it happened.

Another tactic growing in popularity is to install a virus that encrypts every file on the network. Hackers then demand a ransom to release the files back to the business. Small businesses in the U.S. and Europe have already paid out hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars to these hostages, because they don't have much of a choice. It's either pay up, or their business is shut down.

Security software and firewalls can't stop these types of attacks, because they all originate from emails that are sent to employees. And, these are not random emails that are flagged as spam. They are targeted attacks on specific dealerships and the individual employees who work there. Attackers create "from" email addresses that closely resemble the domain name and employee names within that organization.

According to Symantec, half of all spear phishing attacks (emails to employees that contain viruses, malware and links to fake websites) target small businesses, defined as 1 to 250 employees. The most targeted industries are finance, insurance, real estate and the services sector.

To help defend against spear phishing attacks, Nachbahr makes the following recommendations to dealers:

1) Verbally verify all requests for wire transfers

2) Be sure to have the right cyber-liability insurance policy in place. The majority of dealerships do not have cyber-liability insurance coverage, which is concerning. It's not a matter of if dealerships will experience a cyberattack, but when.

3) Employee training. Be sure your employees know the latest cyberwarfare tactics, and how to combat them.

4) Keep software patches updated. Nachbahr estimates that more than 90 percents of dealerships do not have a system in place to keep their patches updated on a regular basis. This is like leaving your back door open at night - a virtual invitation to cyberthieves.

To learn more about the latest security threats to your dealership, contact Helion at 443-541-1500.

Or, stop by Helion's booth # 5816N at NADA. To make an appointment visit http://bit.ly/1Q3sHa9.

About Helion Automotive Technologies

Helion...Putting Your Dealership in the FAST LANE! Helion Automotive Technologies is a leading IT solutions provider, providing auto dealers with faster, more efficient networks and secure data protection. From managed services to IT assistance and service desk help, Helion offers both short-term IT fixes and long-term planning so dealers can focus on what matters most: selling more cars. Helion has specialized in IT for more than ten years and works with 650+ auto dealers nationwide. Dealers can request a free assessment of their IT needs at http://www.heliontechnologies.com.

The world of technology is changing fast; here's what dealers need to know:

1) In 2015, there were 18.2 billion devices connected to the Internet. By 2020 that number will increase to over 50 billion devices, or 2.5X the current amount

(Source: Cisco)

The number of devices in many dealerships has doubled compared to five years ago. In addition to computers, employees are now using cell phones and mobile tablets to connect via Wi-Fi to the Internet. Gadgets such as "smart" appliances also transmit information over the Internet via Wi-Fi.

Increasingly, dealerships are starting to install Wi-Fi access points out on their lots. Salespeople are pushing to use tablets so they can engage customers by videotaping virtual walkarounds, or check out the competition's prices to combat showrooming.  

Service departments are also using external Wi-Fi to perform vehicle computer updates, so they can free up their bays for customer-pay repairs.

All these new devices collectively transfer huge amounts of data, which means that most auto dealerships will need to prioritize upgrading their Wi-Fi networks. In four years, the typical auto dealership will need anywhere from ten to fifteen enterprise-grade Wi-Fi routers located strategically throughout their dealership.

2) In 2004, the average Internet usage at auto dealerships was 10 Mbps. Currently average Internet usage is 30 Mbps. By 2018, average usage will be 100 Mbps. (Source: Helion internal data)

Until recently, phone companies' T1 lines or cable-providers' Internet solutions have been adequate for many dealerships. As data usage continues to increase, more dealers are finding that these solutions are no longer sufficient.

Most dealerships today require enterprise-grade service, which comes with high-level support and greater reliability. The best way to accomplish this is with fiber optics.

The good news for auto dealers is that recently, both cable companies and utility companies have been awarded with Rights of Way, which means they can compete with phone companies to provide fiber optics services to businesses.  The increased competition will significantly lower prices. In some areas, dealerships can now bring screaming fast Internet via fiber optics right into their server rooms for $700 to $800 per month.

3) In 2015, 480 million records were leaked and more than $1 billion was stolen due to cyberattacks (Source: IT Governance)

Incidences of cyberattacks and cybercrimes have tripled in just the last few years, with millions of attacks being launched every day by sophisticated hackers in the U.S. and abroad. If your auto dealership doesn't yet have a security policy or cyber attack plan in place, now is the time to create one.

4) In 2016, 36% of all data is expected to be stored in the cloud and worldwide consumer digital storage will surpass 4 zettabytes (Source: Gartner Research)

Are you wondering what a zettabyte is?

1,000 Kilobytes = 1 Megabyte
1,000 Megabytes = 1 Gigabyte
1,000 Gigabytes = 1 Terabyte
1,000 Terabytes = 1 Petabyte
1,000 Petabytes = 1 Exabyte
1,000 Exabytes = 1 Zettabyte
1,000 Zettabytes = 1 Yottabyte
1,000 Yottabytes = 1 Brontobyte
1,000 Brontobytes = 1 Geopbyte

Source: http://www.whatsabyte.com/

A zettabyte is a LOT of data. Cloud computing is one of the primary reasons why the need for Internet bandwidth will continue to increase.

Many auto dealerships currently rely on cloud storage when they sign up with vendors who deliver Software-as-a-Service or cloud-based solutions. Most CRM and DMS vendors offer cloud-based solutions.

The top four benefits of cloud computing include:

• Reduced IT costs

• Flexibility and scalability

• Security

• Increased data efficiency and utilization

The trend towards cloud computing is likely to continue. Like many other small to mid-sized businesses, auto dealerships stand to benefit from cloud computing as their ability to compete is enhanced by reduced IT costs and increased efficiencies.

Checked emails. Scrolled through your Facebook feed. Ate breakfast. Read news headlines. Took a nap. Paid bills. Played a video game. Filed your nails.

Now, raise your other hand if you have ever done any of these things while viewing an online webinar presentation.

If you have, you're not alone. Being absent while present--or present while absent--is a common problem associated with conference call and webinar technology. Which is why, for really important meetings, people still make the effort to meet in person.

The problem with meeting in person is that for dealers with more than one location, it can be expensive and time-consuming. When your stores are all in one city, an offsite meeting can take half a day, or longer if traffic is bad. If your stores are in separate cities, a meeting can take a full day or two, plus the cost of airfare, hotel and meals. For larger auto groups, the hard costs and time associated with travel can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars every year.

What if you could eliminate most of that expense and save days of productivity, yet still get the benefit of face-to-face meetings?

Say hello to videoconferencing.

Video technology has come a long way in the last few years, and some forward thinking dealers are using it in innovative ways to collaborate and save time and money. If you haven't taken a serious look at the ways video can benefit your dealership, you may want to add this to your "To Do" list.

While on a videoconference call, staff must be present in every sense of the word. There's a huge difference between talking to someone on the phone and looking into a person's eyes. It creates a different dynamic and increases the level of interaction. Cameras convey facial expressions and body language, both important factors in effective communications.

One way to have online meetings is with Skype for Business. In 2011 Microsoft acquired Skype and spent years integrating it with their enterprise Lync platform. In 2015 they launched Skype for Business, a relatively low-cost and easy way to hold videoconference calls for small groups of people. The downside to Skype is that calls are usually initiated via a person's computer, so unless you have a private office, it may be distracting to co-workers and customers in a dealership.

An alternative to Skype for Business is to have videoconferencing equipment set up in a conference room. Typically this includes one or two large HD screens and cameras. This allows individuals and groups of people to gather and meet with other individuals and groups of people in another dealership.

Dealerships are finding this set-up to be a successful replacement for in-person meetings. Auto groups are currently using videoconferencing for the following types of meetings:

• Multi-site departmental meetings; i.e. monthly or weekly F&I, sales, service, accounting, partner meetings and more
• Benefits rollouts
• Trainings
• Face-to-face coaching

How much money could your dealership save if you eliminated the majority of employee travel time and costs?

If you haven't considered videoconferencing for your dealership, give it a try! The only drawback to a videoconference meeting is that you can't share the donuts

Checked emails. Scrolled through your Facebook feed. Ate breakfast. Read news headlines. Took a nap. Paid bills. Played a video game. Filed your nails.

Now, raise your other hand if you have ever done any of these things while viewing an online webinar presentation.

If you have, you're not alone. Being absent while present--or present while absent--is a common problem associated with conference call and webinar technology. Which is why, for really important meetings, people still make the effort to meet in person.

The problem with meeting in person is that for dealers with more than one location, it can be expensive and time-consuming. When your stores are all in one city, an offsite meeting can take half a day, or longer if traffic is bad. If your stores are in separate cities, a meeting can take a full day or two, plus the cost of airfare, hotel and meals. For larger auto groups, the hard costs and time associated with travel can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars every year.

What if you could eliminate most of that expense and save days of productivity, yet still get the benefit of face-to-face meetings?

Say hello to videoconferencing.

Video technology has come a long way in the last few years, and some forward thinking dealers are using it in innovative ways to collaborate and save time and money. If you haven't taken a serious look at the ways video can benefit your dealership, you may want to add this to your "To Do" list.

While on a videoconference call, staff must be present in every sense of the word. There's a huge difference between talking to someone on the phone and looking into a person's eyes. It creates a different dynamic and increases the level of interaction. Cameras convey facial expressions and body language, both important factors in effective communications.

One way to have online meetings is with Skype for Business. In 2011 Microsoft acquired Skype and spent years integrating it with their enterprise Lync platform. In 2015 they launched Skype for Business, a relatively low-cost and easy way to hold videoconference calls for small groups of people. The downside to Skype is that calls are usually initiated via a person's computer, so unless you have a private office, it may be distracting to co-workers and customers in a dealership.

An alternative to Skype for Business is to have videoconferencing equipment set up in a conference room. Typically this includes one or two large HD screens and cameras. This allows individuals and groups of people to gather and meet with other individuals and groups of people in another dealership.

Dealerships are finding this set-up to be a successful replacement for in-person meetings. Auto groups are currently using videoconferencing for the following types of meetings:

• Multi-site departmental meetings; i.e. monthly or weekly F&I, sales, service, accounting, partner meetings and more
• Benefits rollouts
• Trainings
• Face-to-face coaching

How much money could your dealership save if you eliminated the majority of employee travel time and costs?

If you haven't considered videoconferencing for your dealership, give it a try! The only drawback to a videoconference meeting is that you can't share the donuts

Recently an auto dealership experienced an all-too-common security breach. An employee in the accounting department received an email from someone who he thought was the dealer asking him to initiate a $30,000 transfer from the dealership's bank account to another bank account. The accounting employee complied with the request and it was discovered later that the email was a scam. Unfortunately, there was no way to retrieve the funds.

This dealership has a state-of-the-art firewall and security software, but today's increasingly sophisticated hackers are finding ways to get through even the toughest defenses. The most common method for gaining access to a dealership's network and data is to trick or 'scam' employees.

That's why it's so important to have a corporate security policy in place and to train your employees, so they don't make these mistakes:

1) Not verifying email addresses. Any time an employee receives a request to transfer money, check the sender's email address and be sure that it matches the one on file. If the request is above $1,000, you may want to require verbal confirmation over the phone. These steps would have prevented the transfer just mentioned.

2) Click on an email attachment from an unknown source. Attachments can contain malware. In one instance, a dealership employee downloaded malicious code that allowed a hacker access to online credit apps, social security and credit card numbers from over 200 customers before discovery. This ultimately cost the dealership more than $150,000.

3) Click on website links within emails. Known as typosquatting, this approach involves sending links to bogus websites that steal login ID and password information. In one instance, an accountant received an email notice from the dealership's bank. The accountant clicked on a link in the email and was taken to what he thought was the bank's website, where he logged in. Result: A $450,000 wire transfer was initiated from the dealership's bank; however, this dealer was lucky because the bank caught the error before the money was transferred.

4) Bringing Their Own Devices. Your dealership should have a policy that prevents employees from copying customer records onto USB drives and other devices. Your employees' intent may not be malicious; perhaps they want to work from home and they need contact information. Nevertheless, having your customers' data on an unsecured residential computer makes it vulnerable to theft from another party.

5) Believing that phone representative is who they say they are. What if you got a phone call from a Microsoft representative who told you they're working with your IT company or employee (naming them correctly), and that you need to go through some troubleshooting steps? Would you believe them? Unfortunately, some employees fall for this scam and proceed to give away information that allows the network to be hacked. If you receive such a call, ask the rep for their number and tell them you'll call them back once you check with your IT staff.

6) Password violations. Employees should create passwords with a combination of letters, numbers and symbols, and they should change passwords every 90 days. Never share or give login ID or password information to anyone.

7) Visit personal websites while at work. Your corporate security policy should disallow employees to visit social media sites, online shopping or gaming sites at work. This is not about productivity or privacy; it's about your network security.

The consequences of a security breach can be hugely expensive. Stealing money from a bank account is only one part of it. Once hackers gain access to your network they may be able to breach your database and steal your customer records, including social security, credit card and bank account numbers.

One of the biggest expenses dealers incur from such a breach is the cost to contact all customers and then manage and monitor their credit to ensure they are not adversely affected. Additional consequences may include investigations, audits, lawsuits and FTC action for non-compliance with the Gramm-Leach-Bliley (GLB) Act. Violations can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars per incident.

According to the Ponemon Institute, the average cost per stolen record is approximately $200. If your dealership has 100,000 customer records that means you could be on the hook for $2 million.

Firewalls and security software are the first line of defense against hackers who want to steal your data. Your employees are the second line of defense, so be sure they are trained in the latest cyber warfare tactics!