Priya Patel
TLDR:
- CDK Global, a major SaaS provider for the U.S. auto trade, has been hit by two ransomware attacks in a week, leading to outages for 30,000 dealerships.
- The attacks have forced dealerships to resort to pen and paper for operations, impacting critical functions like sales processing and inventory management.
In a recent incident, CDK Global, the largest provider of dealer management software for the U.S. auto trade, has experienced two devastating ransomware attacks, leading to significant outages for 30,000 dealerships. The attacks have forced dealerships to fall back on manual processes, disrupting critical functions such as sales processing, inventory management, and service operations.
According to reports, as CDK Global attempted to restore its services after the initial breach, they were hit by a second attack, prompting further shutdowns. The outages have impacted some of the largest automotive dealers in the world, causing widespread frustration among customers.
While CDK Global claims to be working to bring systems back online, cybersecurity and IT professionals have raised concerns about the company’s speedy recovery efforts, urging a thorough investigation into the scope of the breaches before resuming operations.
Amidst the ongoing outage, affected dealerships have relied on alternative systems to continue business operations, with some estimating extended downtime and potential data leaks in the future. The incident has shed light on the vulnerabilities in the automotive industry’s reliance on cloud-based services and the need for robust cybersecurity measures to prevent future attacks.
