In North America, Stellantis falls victim to a cyberattack: "We encourage our customers to remain vigilant".

The Group Stellantis revealed in a press release that it had been the victim of a cyber attack in North America. The incident did not directly affect the company's factories or its central IT network, but originated from one of its external service providers responsible for providing part of its customer service.

In a press release issued from Auburn Hills (Michigan), the manufacturer confirmed that unauthorized access had been detected on this service provider's platform. "The protection of our customers' data and the maintenance of their trust are our top priorities", says Stellantis. Immediately after the intrusion was discovered, the company activated its incident response protocols, launched an internal investigation and notified the relevant authorities. Customers directly concerned are currently being notified.

Good news for the latter: the compromised information was limited to contact data. Stellantis specifies that neither banking data nor sensitive personal information has been accessed. However, the company stresses the need for its customers to be vigilant: don't click on suspicious links, and don't share personal information in response to unexpected e-mails, SMS messages or calls.

The attack comes at a time when the global automotive industry is increasingly exposed to cyber attacks. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) recently experienced a major cyber attack that paralyzed its factories and sales network, causing delivery delays and production losses. While Stellantis escaped such disruption, the episode serves as a reminder of the extent to which links in the chain, particularly third-party service providers, represent a privileged point of entry for hackers.

The manufacturer has not specified how many customers were affected, nor the identity of the service provider who fell victim to the attack. Until we know more, the message is clear: Stellantis is reassuring its customers, but calls on them to be cautious in the face of phishing attempts that could result from this data leak.