A cyber attack on CDK has led auto dealerships across the country to suspend operations. This is what is known about the attack with global impact.
This Wednesday, June 19, a massive cyberattack on CDK led auto dealerships across the United States to suspend operations after losing access to the system that facilitates vehicle sales.
The company’s website claims its software is used by more than 15,000 auto dealers across the country, highlighting the scale of the attack and how it crippled the industry in minutes. In a country where more than 50 million cars are sold each year, one day can have serious consequences for companies forced to turn away customers.
One X account, identified as GuyDealership, posited that this cyberattack followed one on Findlay Auto Group last week. While many investors are focused on the possibilities of integrating artificial intelligence into commercial sales, these attacks may shift the focus to improving cybersecurity to ensure attacks of this nature cannot occur.
https://x.com/GuyDealership/status/1803421101713715290
What is known so far about the attack
Users of the software have been communicating about the outage on Reddit. One user posted a letter purportedly sent by the company, saying that it is “currently experiencing a cyber incident” and that “out of precaution and concern for our customers, we have shut down most of our systems.” The company did not provide a timeline as to when they believed the software would be back up and running, leading many to express their frustration on the forum.
GuyDealership subsequently posted images of the letter, which added credibility to the initial reports circulating online.
In addition, a note was added below the letter explaining that “the notification is being sent to those experiencing the issue, as well as those who have the potential to experience the issue and have signed up for critical alerts.” Another notification sent by the company later told customers that they “recommend closing that access until we can confirm that this is a viable path.”