A cyberattack on CDK Global, a leading provider of cloud-based software to dealerships, disrupted operations at car dealerships across the U.S. The company shut down most of its systems as a precautionary measure, causing an upheaval in the daily operations of more than 15,000 retail locations across North America.
CDK Global’s software aids dealerships in managing various aspects of their business, including vehicle acquisitions, sales, financing, insuring, repairs, and maintenance. However, the cyberattack led to a shutdown of most of its systems, including CDK Service, Common Admin, DRIVE, Drive Workflow Menu, Fortellis, Fortellis Integration Portal, Global Content Management, Intelligence Suite, Modern Retail CRM, Modern Retail Digital Retail, Modern Retail eSign, and MyInstall Dealer Portal.
By Wednesday afternoon, the company had restored its core document management system and digital retailing solutions. However, extensive tests were still being conducted on all other applications. The company did not disclose how many dealerships were impacted by the outage.
The incident underscores the growing threat of cyberattacks targeting car dealerships. A 2023 report from CDK noted that 17% of 175 surveyed dealers experienced a cyberattack or incident within the past year, up from 15% the year prior. Dealerships are attractive targets for cybercriminals due to the vast amounts of sensitive customer data they hold.
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