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Car Dealerships Go Analog After Cyberattack: What the CDK Outage Teaches Us About Cybersecurity
Blog
Car Dealerships Go Analog After Cyberattack: What the CDK Outage Teaches Us About Cybersecurity
In June 2024, CDK Global — the software backbone for thousands of car dealerships in North America — suffered a devastating cyberattack. Overnight, dealerships lost access to their sales, service, and inventory systems. The result? Back to the Stone Age: pens, paper, and handwritten orders.
This wasn’t just a minor inconvenience. It was a wake-up call.
What Happened?
CDK Global, which provides cloud-based tools to more than 15,000 auto dealers, was hit by a ransomware attack that crippled its core systems. With no access to sales platforms, service scheduling, finance tools, or CRMs, most dealers were left scrambling.
For over a week, operations stalled. Employees handwrote contracts. Service departments used sticky notes to track appointments. Some stores couldn’t sell a single car. Others lost millions in revenue each day.
The Bigger Lesson: No One Is Too Big (or Too Small)
The CDK attack is part of a growing trend: targeted cyberattacks on software supply chains.
If you rely on third-party tools or cloud platforms (hint: you do), then you’re only as secure as your weakest provider.
Small businesses often assume they aren’t on a hacker’s radar. But reality says otherwise:
43% of cyberattacks target small to mid-sized businesses
60% of small businesses go out of business within 6 months of a cyberattack
What Should You Do Now?
Assess Your Risk
What platforms are critical to your business? Who are your vendors? What happens if one of them goes down tomorrow?Implement Layered Security
Firewalls and antivirus aren’t enough. You need multi-factor authentication, endpoint protection, data backups, and user training.Develop a Business Continuity Plan
If systems crash tomorrow, do you have a fallback? Can your team function? A few minutes of planning can prevent days (or weeks) of downtime.Monitor Your Network in Real Time
Threats evolve fast. Good Wolf Tech offers proactive monitoring to detect and stop breaches before they cause damage.
Tech Can’t Be Trusted Blindly — It Has to Be Secured
The CDK Global breach proved how fragile digital operations can be without resilient cybersecurity. Whether you’re running a dealership, a design firm, or a logistics company — your systems are the lifeline of your business.
At Good Wolf Tech, we help protect that lifeline. From cloud security to backup recovery plans, we design cybersecurity strategies that match your industry, your tech stack, and your budget.
Don't wait for a breach to expose your business.
👉 Explore Cybersecurity & Tech Solutions
In June 2024, CDK Global — the software backbone for thousands of car dealerships in North America — suffered a devastating cyberattack. Overnight, dealerships lost access to their sales, service, and inventory systems. The result? Back to the Stone Age: pens, paper, and handwritten orders.
This wasn’t just a minor inconvenience. It was a wake-up call.
What Happened?
CDK Global, which provides cloud-based tools to more than 15,000 auto dealers, was hit by a ransomware attack that crippled its core systems. With no access to sales platforms, service scheduling, finance tools, or CRMs, most dealers were left scrambling.
For over a week, operations stalled. Employees handwrote contracts. Service departments used sticky notes to track appointments. Some stores couldn’t sell a single car. Others lost millions in revenue each day.
The Bigger Lesson: No One Is Too Big (or Too Small)
The CDK attack is part of a growing trend: targeted cyberattacks on software supply chains.
If you rely on third-party tools or cloud platforms (hint: you do), then you’re only as secure as your weakest provider.
Small businesses often assume they aren’t on a hacker’s radar. But reality says otherwise:
43% of cyberattacks target small to mid-sized businesses
60% of small businesses go out of business within 6 months of a cyberattack
What Should You Do Now?
Assess Your Risk
What platforms are critical to your business? Who are your vendors? What happens if one of them goes down tomorrow?Implement Layered Security
Firewalls and antivirus aren’t enough. You need multi-factor authentication, endpoint protection, data backups, and user training.Develop a Business Continuity Plan
If systems crash tomorrow, do you have a fallback? Can your team function? A few minutes of planning can prevent days (or weeks) of downtime.Monitor Your Network in Real Time
Threats evolve fast. Good Wolf Tech offers proactive monitoring to detect and stop breaches before they cause damage.
Tech Can’t Be Trusted Blindly — It Has to Be Secured
The CDK Global breach proved how fragile digital operations can be without resilient cybersecurity. Whether you’re running a dealership, a design firm, or a logistics company — your systems are the lifeline of your business.
At Good Wolf Tech, we help protect that lifeline. From cloud security to backup recovery plans, we design cybersecurity strategies that match your industry, your tech stack, and your budget.
Don't wait for a breach to expose your business.
👉 Explore Cybersecurity & Tech Solutions
In June 2024, CDK Global — the software backbone for thousands of car dealerships in North America — suffered a devastating cyberattack. Overnight, dealerships lost access to their sales, service, and inventory systems. The result? Back to the Stone Age: pens, paper, and handwritten orders.
This wasn’t just a minor inconvenience. It was a wake-up call.
What Happened?
CDK Global, which provides cloud-based tools to more than 15,000 auto dealers, was hit by a ransomware attack that crippled its core systems. With no access to sales platforms, service scheduling, finance tools, or CRMs, most dealers were left scrambling.
For over a week, operations stalled. Employees handwrote contracts. Service departments used sticky notes to track appointments. Some stores couldn’t sell a single car. Others lost millions in revenue each day.
The Bigger Lesson: No One Is Too Big (or Too Small)
The CDK attack is part of a growing trend: targeted cyberattacks on software supply chains.
If you rely on third-party tools or cloud platforms (hint: you do), then you’re only as secure as your weakest provider.
Small businesses often assume they aren’t on a hacker’s radar. But reality says otherwise:
43% of cyberattacks target small to mid-sized businesses
60% of small businesses go out of business within 6 months of a cyberattack
What Should You Do Now?
Assess Your Risk
What platforms are critical to your business? Who are your vendors? What happens if one of them goes down tomorrow?Implement Layered Security
Firewalls and antivirus aren’t enough. You need multi-factor authentication, endpoint protection, data backups, and user training.Develop a Business Continuity Plan
If systems crash tomorrow, do you have a fallback? Can your team function? A few minutes of planning can prevent days (or weeks) of downtime.Monitor Your Network in Real Time
Threats evolve fast. Good Wolf Tech offers proactive monitoring to detect and stop breaches before they cause damage.
Tech Can’t Be Trusted Blindly — It Has to Be Secured
The CDK Global breach proved how fragile digital operations can be without resilient cybersecurity. Whether you’re running a dealership, a design firm, or a logistics company — your systems are the lifeline of your business.
At Good Wolf Tech, we help protect that lifeline. From cloud security to backup recovery plans, we design cybersecurity strategies that match your industry, your tech stack, and your budget.
Don't wait for a breach to expose your business.
👉 Explore Cybersecurity & Tech Solutions
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Check our other blogs with useful insight and information for your business.