Dealerships must be in compliance by Dec. 9, 2022, with a new Gramm-Leach-Bliley (GLB) Safeguards Rule that contains a series of extensive and complicated new data security requirements, the Federal Trade Commission announced recently.

A series of compliance aids for dealers, including an FAQ document and a well-attended webinar for dealerships, were prepared by the National Automobile Dealers Association. In addition, the NADA this month issued its comprehensive and updated "Driven Guide to the FTC Safeguards Rule," which is available to all NADA members. 

The guide’s primary author is a former FTC attorney, and it contains extensive guidance on compliance with the new requirements, as well as IT guidance from a professional IT firm. It also includes several appendices containing sample polices and links to governmental and other regulatory guidance on data security. A portion of the appendix material was provided by one of the NADA Affinity program providers. 

The NADA will continue to provide compliance guidance throughout the year, but in the meantime, dealers are encouraged to review the guide and work closely with their vendors, IT professionals, attorneys, OEM partners, and others to ensure they can fully comply with the new requirements by Dec. 9, 2022.