Search Here

In a recent statement, CDK Global announced its plans to restore services to all dealers by Thursday, July 4, following a cyberattack that affected the company's software systems.

CDK Global Dealers Will Be Back Online on July 4

CDK provides cloud-based software solutions to over 15,000 auto dealerships throughout North America. Its software effectively handles various aspects of vehicle operations, including acquisitions, sales, financing, insurance, repairs, and maintenance.

Restoration efforts have been ongoing for over a week following a cyberattack on June 19, which resulted in the company's systems being shut down due to a reported ransom demand.

CDK experienced two cyberattacks that resulted in the temporary shutdown of its systems, causing significant disruptions to various operations such as scheduling, service repairs, parts deliveries, and car purchases at auto dealerships across the US and Canada.

According to Bloomberg, CDK stated via email that they expect all dealer connections to be live by late Wednesday, July 3 or early morning Thursday, July 4.

The dealership management system, or DMS, developed by CDK is an essential software suite that supports various aspects of auto retailers' daily operations. The outage had a significant impact on sales and caused disruptions to repairs within an industry that generated over $1.2 trillion in US sales last year.

The disruptions are occurring during a crucial period of end-of-quarter sales activity.

Several media sources have stated Allan Liska, a ransomware analyst at Recorded Future, has identified the hacking group responsible for the cyberattack on CDK as BlackSuit.

According to Reuters, BlackSuit is a new cybercriminal team that emerged from a previous hacking group known as RoyalLocker, which has ties to Russia. According to security firm Recorded Future, a significant number of organizations worldwide have been breached by the group.

Car Dealerships Targeted by Cybercriminals

Car dealerships are increasingly vulnerable to cybercriminals, as revealed by a recent report. Out of 175 surveyed dealers, 17% reported experiencing a cyberattack or incident in the past year, which is a slight increase from the previous year's 15%.

Among the dealers surveyed, 46% reported experiencing a detrimental financial or operational impact as a result of the cyberattack.

Dealerships have become a prime focus due to the significant volumes of confidential customer information they possess.

According to a 2023 article from insurance company Zurich North America, dealerships possess a wealth of information that can be targeted by hackers, ranging from credit applications to customer financial data.