Car dealerships in USA and Canada hit by double cyber-attack on CDK Global

11:20 am, June 21, 2024

Car dealerships across the USA and Canada are facing days of disruption after cyber-criminals targeted software provider CDK Global.

The software-as-a-service (SaaS) outfit was hacked earlier this week and since then dealers across the pond who use its platform – believed to be more than 15,000 – have had to go back to using pen and paper to process sales and repairs.

The first attack is understood to have happened on Tuesday night (18th) and the next day CDK Global spokeswoman Lisa Finney said in a statement reported by CNN: ‘We are actively investigating a cyber-incident.

‘Out of an abundance of caution and concern for our customers, we have shut down most of our systems and are working diligently to get everything up and running as quickly as possible.’

Most of CDK Global’s critical computer systems were reported to be back online later that day.

However, dealerships in North America were sent another message by CDK Global yesterday morning that said: ‘Late in the evening of June 19, we experienced an additional cyber-incident and proactively shut down most of our systems.

‘In partnership with third-party experts, we are assessing the impact and providing regular updates to our customers.

‘We remain vigilant in our efforts to reinstate our services and get our dealers back to business as usual as quickly as possible.’

But CNN reported that two sources who’d been briefed about the incident said CDK Global had later told dealers their systems could be down for a number of days.

Website Help Net Security said it wasn’t known yet if it was a ransomware attack but added that CDK Global may have closed down its systems and access to stop it from spreading.