Auto Dealer Monthly, June 2017

O p e n i n g O b s e r v a t i o n s 4 auto dealer today June 2017 Vice President Group Publisher AutoGroup Sherb Brown 310 533 2451 sherb brown@ bobit com Publisher Dealer Group David Gesualdo 727 947 4027 david gesualdo@ bobit com Managing Editor and Associate Publisher Tariq Kamal 323 377 0929 tariq kamal@ bobit com Editorial Director Gregory Arroyo 310 533 2592 gregory arroyo@ bobit com Art Director Vince Taroc Graphic Artist Jeff Polman National Sales Manager Greg Ree 407 383 2260 greg ree@ bobit com Sales Marketing Coordinator Amy Hangartner 310 533 2518 amy hangartner@ bobit com E Media and Print Production Manager Brian Peach 310 533 2548 brian peach@ bobit com Production Coordinator Tanya Carranza 310 533 2496 tanya carranza@ bobit com Director of Audience Development Tony Napoleone Chairman 1961 2014 Edward J Bobit President CEO Ty F Bobit Chief Operating Officer Cyndy Drummey Chief Financial Officer Armand Del Duca Business and Editorial Office Bobit Business Media 3520 Challenger St Torrance CA 90503 Fax 310 533 2503 Change Service Requested Return Address Bobit Business Media PO Box 2703 Torrance CA 90509 Printed in U S A the high cost of free software The use of pirated software and shared licenses puts dealers at risk of criminal penalties and cyberattacks By David Gesualdo According to Nachbahr one dealer paid a total of 15 million to settle charges of using pirated software on 300 computers Another was fined 50000 shortly after acquiring a store that had unlicensed software on its computers when the dealer bought it Of course only a slender fraction of the dealer body will ever be subject to a BSA audit But every dealership that runs on unlicensed software does so with a heightened risk of security issues An employee who downloads a copy of Photoshop from The Pirate Bay has no way of knowing whether it is infested with spyware malware ransomware or viruses Should your customers personal information be breached in a cyberattack fines leveled by the BSA will be the least of your worries I am not an attorney and no part of this page should be taken as legal counsel But I urge you to follow Nachbahrs advice Conduct a thorough IT assessment of your store and any dealership you may wish to purchase Failing to do so subjects you your business and your customers to an unacceptable level of risk must address before completing the acquisition of a dealership Item No 1 is software Simply put if any store you own or plan to buy is using unlicensed software you are sitting on a time bomb Unlicensed software takes many forms An employee may download pirated software and install it on one of your machines They may bring software they purchased at home to use on their work computer Multiple users can get by with the purchase of a single license if they all use the same login and password Each of these practices is a violation of the providers copyright and each is illegal Perhaps you or your employees view unlicensed software as a victimless crime I realize Bill Gates wont go hungry if you steal a copy of Microsoft Office But nor will he face punishment if you get caught It happens every day The Business Software Alliance sees to it The BSA enforces software copyrights by going after individuals and businesses that download share or sell pirated software or install multiple copies of purchased software The fact that you have never heard of nor been audited by the BSA should not make you feel safe A disgruntled employee or vendor can rat you out to the agency confidentially at NoPiracy org The implications are dire If your dealership is found to be in violation of the U S Copyright Act the owner can recoup actual damages the cost of their product plus attorneys fees If they are so inclined they can even attempt to pursue any profits gained from the use of their software W elcome to a tech heavy edition of Auto Dealer Today In our cover story dealership IT expert Erik Nachbahr offers a list of five pressing issues you