Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Protect Your Fleet's Data: 9 Articles for Cybersecurity Month

October is Cybersecurity Month, so we've gathered some of HDT's best cybersecurity content for trucking companies.

October 1, 2025
Protect Your Fleet's Data: 9 Articles for Cybersecurity Month

From the back office to the trucks themselves, heavy-duty trucking fleets may be vulnerable to cyberattacks.

Image: HDT Graphic

3 min to read


October is Cybersecurity Month, so we've gathered some of Heavy Duty Trucking's best cybersecurity content to help you be aware and protect your heavy-duty trucking fleet.

Whether a large-scale attack on infrastructure, a ransomware attack on your fleet's computers, or a smaller-scale attack on individual trucks, the threat of cyberattacks in the trucking industry is very real.

1. NEW: How Today's Cybercriminals Con Their Way Into Trucking Operations

2025: While the art of the con has not changed much, the tools and techniques being used by cybercriminals have. And trucking operations may be especially at risk of succumbing to what's called "social engineering." The modern cybercriminal is increasingly relying on human weaknesses, not technical exploits, to accomplish their objectives. 

2. Why Trucking Companies Need to Plan Now for a Cyber Attack

When Harold Sumerford’s phone rang at 2:30 a.m., he knew the news couldn’t be good. But he figured it was probably the safety department – not the CFO telling him the company’s entire computer system was down from a ransomware attack. Learn from J&M Tank Lines' experience.

3. Don’t Let Your Trucking Data Be Held Hostage

Imagine losing access to your business management technologies all at once. From back-office computer systems, to dispatch, to mobile communications and shop technologies. Could you continue to operate? If so, how would you do that? And if you couldn’t operate, would you pay anything to get everything back up and running?

4. Protect Your Fleet Against the Growing Risk of Cyber Attack

Hackers zero in on the trucking industry as an inviting and vulnerable place for cyberattacks. Know how to protect your company before disaster strikes. Read this article or watch the entire interview on HDT Talks Trucking:

5. Minimize the Threat of Cyber Attacks at Your Trucking Fleet

Don’t ignore the threat of a cyber attack just because it hasn’t happened to your fleet. Basic electronic security begins with good online habits and staff training on how to avoid unwanted intrusions in the first place.

6. Cybersecurity for Smaller Trucking Fleets and Owner-Operators

Heavy-duty trucking is a complex and varied industry. Anyone who has worked as an owner-operator or in a small to mid-sized trucking company knows that nearly everyone wears multiple hats, and there is no shortage of work to be done. It’s no wonder cybersecurity is often overlooked amidst all the other fires to put out when running a small trucking fleet — until it’s too late.

Cybersecurity on Today's Connected Vehicles

7. The ELD Hacking Threat: Q&A with Serjon's Urban Jonson

Did you know your fleet’s electronic logging devices may be vulnerable to hackers? Learn more from this interview with Urban Jonson of Serjon, a cybersecurity firm specializing in fleet transportation security,

8. Q&A: How Hackers Can Exploit Fleet Vehicles

Software-defined vehicles and insecure APIs and mobile services have opened new attack vectors for the bad guys to exploit, from cars to heavy-duty trucks. The threat is real, and it will have a huge impact for fleets. Find out why from cybersecurity expert Haim Kantor by reading the Q&A, or watch the full HDT Talks Trucking interview here:

9. Q&A: Upstream CEO on Protecting Trucks Against Cyberattacks

Vehicle and fleet cyberattacks increased by 344% between 2010 and 2022. Yoav Levy, co-founder and CEO of connected vehicle cybersecurity firm Upstream, talks about the nature of the threat and how to protect vehicle assets.

Editor's note: This roundup originally appeared in 2024. It has been updated for October 2025 with the most recent cybersecurity-related content. Some content is a few years old, but still offers valuable insights and advice.

More Fleet Management

A woman holding a tablet with a screen showing rectangles of various colors
SponsoredSeptember 16, 2026

Color Match Smarter: Tools That Restore & Perform

For fleet managers and collision repair professionals keeping heavy-duty trucks on the road, getting the color right the first time isn't just about appearance — it's about efficiency, turnaround time, and bottom-line results. Discover how today's digital color tools are transforming the repair process from guesswork to precision.

Read More →
Mobile tablet showing Motus screen against highway background with Motus logo
Fleet Managementby StaffSeptember 15, 2026

FMCSA Pauses Biennial-Update Enforcement Amid Motus Transition

Carriers whose updates were due on or after June 1 have more time, while FMCSA works to stabilize its new registration system and warns of phishing sites impersonating its new carrier registration system, Motus.

Read More →
Geotab Whitepaper Cargo Theft Cover
SponsoredSeptember 14, 2026

2026 Blueprint for Countering Smarter Supply Chain Theft

Cargo theft is no longer just the cost of doing business. It's a multi-billion-dollar criminal enterprise exploiting vulnerabilities across your fleet, drivers, and supply chain.

Read More →
A monitor with a bar graph with a person sitting next to it wearing a headset.
SponsoredSeptember 1, 2026

How Telematics Improves Visibility, Control, and Performance in Refrigerated Fleets

Explore how telematics help refrigerated fleets improve visibility, uptime, efficiency, compliance, and cargo protection across connected cold chain operations.

Read More →
Graphic with U.S. and Canadian flags over background illustration of an ink-stamp that says Tariffs.
Equipmentby Deborah LockridgeAugust 24, 2026

What the U.S.-Canada Trade War Means for Trucking

Escalating U.S.-Canada tariffs could disrupt cross-border freight, reduce truck volumes, raise costs, and create new uncertainty for carriers on both sides of the border.

Read More →
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseAugust 24, 2026

What Are Trucking’s Top Concerns for 2026?

The American Transportation Research Institute wants to know what's worrying trucking fleet managers, drivers, and other stakeholders in its annual Industry Issues survey.

Read More →
Four men in suits on the National Mall with giant video screen showing capitol building in the background
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeAugust 24, 2026

American Trucking Associations Looks for a New Leader

ATA President and CEO Chris Spear abruptly left his job at the association on August 21, at a pivotal time for the trucking industry.

Read More →
The Cyber Stop column header with photo of a smiling driver in truck with a laptop and a wi-fi icon
Fleet ManagementAugust 21, 2026

Public Wi-Fi Cybersecurity Risks: How Truck Drivers and Fleets Can Protect Their Data

Public Wi-Fi can expose truck drivers and fleets to credential theft, malware, and other cyber threats. Here’s how to reduce the risk on the road.

Read More →
Woman in white blazer superimposed on background showing a row of Fraley & Schilling truck, plus the HDT Truck Fleet Innovators 2026 logo
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeAugust 19, 2026

For Nicky Cupp, Fleet Innovation Starts With Frustration

HDT Truck Fleet Innovator Nicky Cupp turns everyday pain points at Fraley & Schilling into opportunities for better technology and smarter processes.

Read More →
Headshot of Adam Buttgenbach with a Pepsi-branded Tesla Semi in the background
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeAugust 18, 2026

Adam Buttgenbach’s Approach to Electric Trucks: Start With Where They Fit

HDT Truck Fleet Innovator Adam Buttgenbach helped PepsiCo build one of North America’s largest EV fleets by focusing on where electric trucks make operational sense.

Read More →