Car dealerships across the country are in the midst of a multiple-day cyberattack that is preventing business from running as usual.
CDK Global, the company responsible for providing the backend software systems for 15,000 car dealerships across the country, was the victim of two cyberattacks that have halted business.
Without systems up and running, dealers have their hands tied when it comes to making sales or completing repairs. The company’s technology makes it possible for dealerships to handle service appointments, access customers’ records, and other critical information.
“We are actively investigating a cyber incident,” a CDK spokesperson told CBS News. “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.”
Hackers have struck twice so far
Dealers across the country were first aware of an issue the morning of Wednesday, June 19. Employees had no access to their regular systems, forcing them to try alternative computer programs to keep things running.
While the system appeared to be back up and running by midday, a subsequent attack stalled any progress.
“Late in the evening of June 19, we experienced an additional cyber incident and proactively shut down most of our systems,” the company said. “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 deals back to business as usual as quickly as possible.”
It currently remains unclear whether the two attacks were related, but systems are still down, and aren’t expected to be brought back on until Friday, June 21.
Additionally, no information has been released about whether or not consumers’ data has been compromised in these attacks. However, the biggest impact consumers are facing is a disruption to regular business at dealerships, whether that’s purchasing a car or having one serviced.