A major cyberattack on CDK, a software company that provides essential services to thousands of car dealerships across North America, has caused widespread disruption. The attack was identified on June 19 and resulted in the shutdown of CDK's systems. The hackers responsible for the attack are reportedly demanding ransom payments from CDK, with millions to tens of millions of dollars being demanded on average.
The impact of this cyberattack has been significant. Dealerships have been unable to process transactions or arrange financing due to the outage, causing delays and inconvenience for customers. Repair orders in service departments also cannot be closed, further complicating matters for dealerships.
CDK is currently working on containing the attacks and restoring secure operations. However, it is unclear when normal business operations will resume fully. The attack has affected over 15,000 retail locations across North America.
The cyberattack on CDK comes at a time when ransomware demands from hackers have been increasing significantly. This trend highlights the growing threat of cybercrime and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures for businesses in all industries.
CDK is based in Hoffman Estates, Ill., and operates in over 15,000 retail locations across North America. The company offers a dealer management system (DMS) that dealers use to process transactions, arrange financing, track parts and suppliers, and perform customer relations management.
The attack on CDK has had ripple effects throughout the auto industry. AutoNation and Group 1 Automotive have taken precautions to protect their data. Sonic Automotive expects negative business impact until systems are fully restored.
CDK's parent company, Brookfield Business Partners LP, has not yet commented on the situation publicly.
The timing of the restoration of other impacted CDK applications remains unclear at this time. The full scope and nature of the incident are still being assessed.