In 2024, many in the automotive retail industry, including dealer associations and industry consultants, speculated that a new presidential administration would bring sweeping deregulation, including a potential slowdown in the enforcement of rules like the FTC Safeguards Rule. That belief was circulated through 20 Groups, dealer forums and vendor channels, prompting some dealers to question whether continued investment in cybersecurity compliance was necessary. However, recent research and enforcement data show that the expectation of lighter federal oversight may be more myth than reality, especially when it comes to the Federal Trade Commission. At OCD Tech, we analyzed FTC enforcement activity across administrations and found that the agency’s actions have been strikingly consistent — regardless of who is in the White House. Let’s look at the data. MYTH #1: FTC ENFORCEMENT IS MORE LENIENT TODAY When we compared full-term FTC enforcement activity in the auto industry between the current administration’s first term and the past administration, we found nearly identical numbers: • Current Administration: 19 enforcement cases involving the auto industry. • Past Administration: 20 cases. The same pattern holds when we zoom out to FTC enforcement across all industries: • Current Administration: 925 total FTC enforcement actions. • Past Administration: 926 actions. FTC Myths vs. Reality A CYBERSECURITY PERSPECTIVE Robbie Harriman, CISA, Director IT Advisory Services, OCD Tech WVADA NEWS 26
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