On Wednesday, June 19, CDK Global, the leading provider of dealership management software systems in the U.S., experienced a significant cyberattack.
The attack led to a shutdown of CDK systems, impacting around 15,000 automotive dealerships nationwide.
CDK Global’s software platform handles all aspects of a car dealership’s operation, including financing, payroll, customer support, automotive service, inventory, payroll, inventory management, and CRM.
Tony Macrito, senior director of communications at CDK Global, stated that the shutdown was a precautionary measure aimed at protecting customers and allowing for a thorough investigation. The shutdown represents a significant operational disruption for CDK Global dealerships and their customers.
It is not known at this point if the event involved a ransomware attack.
Findlay Automotive suffered similar cyberattack last week
This recent cyberattack follows another automotive industry cyberattack last week on Findlay Automotive Group which disrupted its operations for several days.
The attack on Findlay, which operates in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Washington, targeted “certain areas of its IT systems,” according to company statements. About 30 of the company’s dealerships were impacted.
All of Findlay’s locations remained open during the event, but its ability to conduct sales and service were greatly restricted.
In a more recent development, two customers have filed a class action lawsuit against Findlay Auto Group claiming the company didn’t do enough to protect their personal information, which includes Social Security numbers, insurance policy numbers, credit card numbers, and financial information.
Automotive companies and dealerships are felt to be attractive to cybercriminals due to their handling of a wide range of customer personal and financial information.
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