Specific weaknesses are leaving the remarketing sector increasingly exposed to cybercrime, members of the Vehicle Remarketing Association heard at their first meeting of 2026.
At the meeting, Mark Rodbert, chief executive of idax Software (pictured), said high staff turnover in dealerships made it harder to embed strong cyber awareness, while the volume of customer finance data increased the sector’s appeal to criminals.
He said: “Hackers only have to succeed once to cause damage, whereas businesses need to be vigilant all the time, so cybersecurity is always a difficult area, but there are some signs that it is a war where we are successfully fighting back.
“The important thing to realise is that cybercriminals pinpoint very human weaknesses, and the people carrying out the attacks are experts.
“This is their job. Resistance starts with creating the right culture among your people.”
The meeting, held at the Meriden offices of epyx, examined a range of crime risks affecting remarketing, including vehicle theft, ghost number plates and clocking.
Philip Nothard, chair of the Vehicle Remarketing Association, said: “The types of crime affecting remarketing are constantly changing and adapting, and our members are very much aware of the financial and reputational impact of becoming victims.
“In this meeting, we provided a comprehensive briefing covering important areas where crime is a growing concern, and provided useful ideas that should help them to resist criminal activity.”
Ghost-plates
Chris Worton-Smith, national sales manager at Jepson, highlighted structural weaknesses in the UK number plate system and the growing use of ghost plates.
Worton-Smith said: “This is a subject that has received a lot of publicity but more importantly, has helped to highlight that number plate security in the UK is surrounded by many structural problems.
“Perhaps more importantly, out of 118 countries, the UK and Ireland are the only two not to include some form of security marks on their plates. It has been too easy to make, sell, and buy plates that are not just non-compliant with regulations but are sometimes used to commit crimes.”
He added that the DVLA and government had recognised the need for reform, with changes now reflected in the new Road Safety Strategy.
Steve Whitaker, police liaison manager at Tracker Network, said organised gangs were increasingly using low cost, sophisticated equipment to steal vehicles.
“Keyless theft is the biggest issue right now,” he said. “Manufacturers are aware of this and try to engineer their way out of the problem, but thieves then try to reverse engineer those advances.
“There are a range of effective solutions that remarketing businesses can adopt, from better key management to tighter auction day security, but really the biggest advance is to increase awareness of the current risks.”
Positive start to 2026
Members also received a market update from Chris Plumb, head of current car valuations at Cap hpi.
“December ended on a slow note, with retailers telling us the lateness of the Budget served as a damper and that consumers mentally switched straight over to Christmas,” he said.
“The news about January so far is much more positive, with general feedback suggesting sales have been in line with expectations.
“Our overall forecast for 2026 is that it will be a fairly normal year, despite trends such as rising pre-registrations and the impact of the Vehicle Emissions Trading Scheme.”
The VRA plans to hold five further member meetings during 2026, with the next scheduled to take place at the Cox Automotive site at Bruntingthorpe on March 26.