Driving Trust: Email Security and FTC Compliance at Community Auto

When customers walk into a Community Auto Group dealership, they're not just sharing their preferences for vehicles—they're entrusting the company with sensitive personal and financial information. For Chris Rice, IT Director at Community Auto Group, this trust carries significant weight and responsibility.

The Result

With Virtru, Community Auto is now able to:

• Secure customer data with one-click email encryption that integrates directly with Gmail and Microsoft 365, strengthening FTC compliance effortlessly.

• Control sensitive information after sending with revocation capabilities, expiration dates, and read receipts.

• Build customer trust while simplifying compliance, without requiring email recipients to create accounts.

The Trust Equation

"When customers purchase a vehicle from one of our dealerships, they are placing their trust in us by sharing sensitive personal information," Rice explains. "I take that responsibility seriously. It is my duty to ensure that their data is protected with the highest level of security."

This philosophy drives Community Auto's approach to information security. The FTC Safeguards Rule, which recently expanded to include auto dealerships, provided an impetus for Rice to evaluate their data protection measures.

"Meeting compliance means you're following the minimum rules or standards set by regulations, but that doesn't always mean your data is fully secure," he notes. "True security goes beyond just checking boxes—it involves actively protecting your systems from real threats."

"In the automotive industry, we handle everything from driver's licenses and Social Security numbers to financial statements and credit applications," Rice adds. "Before Virtru, we worried about that information traveling unprotected through email. Now, we have confidence that sensitive data stays encrypted from the moment we hit send, regardless of where it travels."

Beyond Checkbox Compliance

The search for a robust email encryption solution began with a simple Google search, which led Rice to Virtru's encrypted email service. During his evaluation, he also considered alternatives like Bot Doc, carefully weighing features, integration capabilities, and cost.

"Virtru came with more features, and offered a cheaper price," Rice recalls. But two other factors proved equally important: "I liked that it integrated with Google Workspace, and M365, and using it was simple."

This combination—powerful email encryption with straightforward usability—addressed Community Auto's core needs. The dealership group needed to protect sensitive communications without creating technical hurdles that might tempt staff to bypass security measures.

"What impressed me most during our evaluation was how Virtru protected the data without creating friction," says Rice. "Other solutions we looked at required recipients to create accounts or download special software. With Virtru, our customers can securely access encrypted emails without jumping through hoops. That was a game-changer for us."

Simplicity Meets Security

The implementation of Virtru's encrypted email provided Community Auto with protection that worked within their existing email platforms rather than forcing users to adopt entirely new systems or workflows. This seamless integration meant that securing sensitive customer information didn't require extensive training or disrupt daily operations.

For Community Auto, where staff regularly handle personal and financial details during vehicle transactions, this balance of security and simplicity proved essential. Protection became part of the process rather than an obstacle to it.

The Value of Protection

With Virtru encrypted email in place, Community Auto Group achieved what Rice had sought: genuine protection that went beyond mere compliance. Staff gained better control over sensitive information, including who could access it and for how long, while maintaining the workflow efficiency needed to serve customers effectively.

"Safeguarding this information is not only critical to maintaining customer trust, but also to upholding our reputation and meeting our legal and ethical obligations," Rice emphasizes.

This protection has become increasingly valuable as cyber threats continue to evolve and data breaches become more common across industries—particularly in automotive retail, where financial and personal information abounds.

Balancing Regulation and Reality

While regulatory requirements like the FTC Safeguards Rule established deadlines and baseline security expectations for the dealership, Virtru's solution delivered capabilities that extended far beyond basic compliance measures.

Virtru's practical features—like read receipts that help finance teams track when customers have reviewed important documents and expiration settings that prevent sensitive information from lingering indefinitely in recipients' inboxes—have enhanced Community Auto's daily operations while simultaneously ensuring regulatory compliance. These tools represent the ideal intersection of security requirements and business efficiency.

Wisdom from the Road

When asked what insights he would share with similar businesses considering Virtru, Rice offers practical advice based on Community Auto's experience:

"If you're serious about protecting sensitive data—especially things like customer information, financial records, or internal communications—Virtru is absolutely worth considering. It offers strong encryption that's easy to use and integrates well with platforms like Gmail and Outlook."

He adds: "For us, it helped strike the right balance between security and usability. It also gave us better control over who can access our data, which is crucial in today's environment where data breaches are a real threat."

A Foundation of Trust

For automotive dealerships, the relationship with customers depends on trust—trust in the vehicles sold, the service provided, and increasingly, the protection of personal information shared during transactions.

By implementing Virtru encrypted email, Community Auto Group reinforced this foundation of trust, demonstrating their commitment to protecting customer data not just to meet regulatory standards, but to uphold the higher standards expected by their customers.

In an industry built on relationships, this commitment to data security has become as important as any other aspect of customer service—a fact that Community Auto Group recognized and addressed through their partnership with Virtru.

"At the end of the day," Rice concludes, "Virtru has become an essential part of how we do business. Just as we wouldn't sell a car without properly functioning safety features, we wouldn't send sensitive customer information without Virtru's protection. It's simply become part of our standard of care."