Hyundai AutoEver America, the technology services arm of Hyundai Motor Group in the United States, has confirmed a data breach that exposed personal information belonging to customers and employees. The company provides IT infrastructure for Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis, supporting connected vehicle systems and dealership networks across North America.
The breach was discovered on March 1, 2025, after the company detected suspicious activity on internal servers. Investigators found that unauthorised access began on February 22 and continued for several days before being contained. The incident affected administrative systems but did not compromise vehicle functions or connected services.
Regulatory filings show that the exposed data may include names, driver’s licence details, and Social Security numbers. Hyundai AutoEver has not disclosed how many individuals were affected, but reports submitted to state agencies indicate that both customers and staff were involved. The company said it acted quickly to isolate the affected systems and began working with law enforcement and external cybersecurity experts to investigate the intrusion.
In official notifications, Hyundai AutoEver stated that it had no evidence that attackers downloaded or sold the information but acknowledged that it could not fully rule out data exfiltration. As a precaution, the company is offering two years of free credit monitoring and identity protection to anyone affected.
Those receiving notification letters are being urged to remain alert for signs of fraud, monitor financial statements, and be cautious of emails or phone calls claiming to represent Hyundai, Kia, or Genesis. Security professionals warn that data from incidents like this can be used to create convincing phishing attempts long after the initial breach.
Impact on Hyundai’s technology operations and industry security
Hyundai AutoEver America plays a central role in the digital operations of its parent company. It manages connected vehicle software, dealership systems, and data networks that support manufacturing and logistics. Because of this centralisation, a single breach can expose a large volume of personal and corporate data, making such service providers valuable targets for cybercriminals.
Experts say that the automotive sector has become increasingly vulnerable as it expands its use of cloud services and connected systems. Attackers now focus on technology vendors that store information for multiple brands rather than on individual manufacturers. Compromising a single IT service provider can offer access to several linked organisations at once.
The Hyundai AutoEver incident follows a wider pattern of supply-chain attacks in the automotive industry. As vehicles rely more on digital infrastructure, the security of vendor networks becomes a core component of consumer protection. Analysts argue that companies in this space must adopt stronger data segmentation, encryption, and monitoring to prevent unauthorised access from spreading across systems.
Security specialists also recommend that individuals affected by breaches like this use multifactor authentication, avoid reusing passwords, and remain sceptical of unexpected messages about financing or connected services. In many cases, criminals use stolen information to craft targeted scams that appear authentic.
Hyundai AutoEver has said that its internal systems are now secure and that additional safeguards have been introduced to prevent similar incidents. Regulators in several U.S. states are reviewing the company’s response to ensure that disclosure timelines and support measures meet compliance standards.
The breach underlines how dependent the automotive sector has become on shared technology infrastructure. As manufacturers and dealers connect their systems, the companies that manage those networks hold the keys to vast amounts of sensitive data. Protecting those systems is now as critical as safeguarding the vehicles themselves.