Your fleet’s cybersecurity policies may look good on paper. These seven checks can help you find out whether they’re working.
byKenneth A. Heskett, cybersecurity engineer, NMFTA
November 2, 2026
5 min to read
- A cybersecurity policy on paper doesn’t prove your fleet’s safeguards work. Test them.
- Check areas such as technology inventory, multifactor authentication, user access, backups, computer updates, employee training, and incident response.
- Prioritize the gaps you find, assign responsibility for fixes, and follow up to verify they’re resolved.
A diligent driver doesn’t just glance at the fifth wheel during a pre-trip inspection and assume the trailer is secure. They get under the rig with a flashlight and verify that the jaws have fully closed around the kingpin.
Your company’s cybersecurity deserves the same treatment. You may believe your safeguards are working. But when did someone last check?
Years ago, I audited an organization’s network configuration and security. I asked the network administrator to try logging into 10 network switches using the factory-default credentials published in their manuals. He scoffed, insisting he had changed them.
Two of the 10 switches still accepted the default credentials.
We found and fixed the problem because we checked. A cybersecurity walkaround can help your fleet uncover similar gaps.
Why Fleets Need a Cybersecurity Walkaround
According to the 2026 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, the human element was involved in 62% of breaches, third parties in 48%, and vulnerability exploitation in 31%.
Behind each of those numbers is a control that someone assumed was working. Whether or not your company has a dedicated IT or cybersecurity team, you can assess your controls to confirm they are present and working as expected.
The effort will take more time than a typical pre-trip walkaround, but it can expose something important that is missing or let you sleep better with reasonable assurance that your controls are effective.
Before You Start Your Cybersecurity Review
If your goal is to find and fix what is broken in your cybersecurity controls, set a few ground rules first:
- Assign someone to lead the review and document the findings. Think of this person as a truck driver getting ready for the road, not a mechanic preparing for an engine teardown.
- Make clear that the goal is fixing problems, without assigning blame. You are assessing processes and controls, not people. Just state clearly what needs to be fixed. Finding a gap in cybersecurity controls should carry the same emotional weight as spotting a bald tire and scheduling its replacement.
- Agree with your IT staff or technology provider in advance on what you’ll check and in how much detail. This is a pre-trip walkaround, not a full inspection. The goal is to prove that each control exists and that you can prove it functions effectively.
7 Cybersecurity Checks for Trucking Fleets
What you check in your “walkaround” will vary depending on your situation, but here are some ideas, each with some tests to show whether the control is present and working:
- Inventory: Ask for a list of every information system your company uses, including web-based software-as-a-service (SaaS), installed software, laptops, network equipment, ELDs, and diagnostic tablets. Ideally, an asset management system generates this list, but brainstorming with the control owners can work.
Can your team produce the inventory in about 30 minutes? Cybersecurity incident responses rely on a comprehensive inventory as soon as possible. - Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Using the inventory list, identify systems that hold sensitive information such as personnel records, financial data, customer lists, and maintenance logs. What counts as sensitive varies by company, so adjust accordingly.
From a computer you have never used before, try logging into each of these systems. Does every one of those systems require MFA? Ask the IT department or the service provider to verify that MFA is enforced and demonstrate it on selected systems. - Access Management: For those same systems, request a list of everyone with access. Is every user a current and active employee or contractor? Are any generic accounts shared among multiple people? Who has administrator access, and does each of them need it? Do system administrators use separate accounts for their routine work?
- Backups: Determine which systems to back up and request a backup status report for each. Then ask someone on your IT team to perform a test restore. Does that test show that every backup succeeded? Was the restore successful, and did it finish in a reasonable time?
- Computers: Walk through your company offices and check which operating system each computer runs. Are any still running Windows 10, which Microsoft stopped supporting more than a year ago? Have they been updated with critical updates and security patches?
- Cybersecurity Training: List the cybersecurity awareness training topics that your company requires, such asphishing and social engineering, and get a current employee roster. Has every employee completed the required training? How much time has lapsed since each person completed the training? Are refreshers needed?
- Incident Response: Ask for the incident response playbook. Has it been reviewed recently? Using the employee roster, see if everyone listed in the playbook is still with the company. When was the response playbook last tested?
Prioritize and Fix Cybersecurity Gaps
Grade each finding green, yellow, or red. Green means the safeguard passed the checks you performed. Yellow means a gap needs attention. Red means a serious weakness requires prompt action.
Work with your IT staff or technology provider to prioritize fixes based on the risk to your business, assign someone responsibility, and set a deadline.
Don’t be surprised if your first walkaround reveals a few problems. That’s the point: You can’t fix what you don’t know is broken.
Repeat the assessment every year, just as your trucks get an annual inspection, and again after any major change such as a new TMS, a merger, or turnover in key staff.
So, get out there and kick the virtual tires on your company’s cybersecurity program. You’ll be glad you did.
Quick Answers
A cybersecurity walkaround is a practical review of your fleet’s digital safeguards. It checks whether protections such as multifactor authentication, backups, and access restrictions are present and working.
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