CDK Expects to Have Hacked Systems Restored by July 4

CDK Global is reportedly restoring its systems that were hacked and expects to have all the car dealerships using its platform live by the morning of July 4.

“We are continuing our phased approach to the restoration process and are rapidly bringing dealers live,” said Tony Macrito, senior communications director at CDK Global, Bloomberg reported Monday (July 1).

CDK Global, which provides software to some 15,000 car dealerships, had its systems knocked offline by two cyberattacks in mid-June, according to the report.

Some of the largest auto dealers in North America have said the attack could have a “material” impact on their finances, depending on how long the systems are down, per the report.

CDK Global told its car dealership customers Tuesday (June 25) that its systems would continue to be down for at least the rest of June, PYMNTS reported at the time.

In the meantime, shoppers looking for a new vehicle will have to bring cash or check, and dealerships will need to use pen and paper. Without CDK Global’s software available to them, dealers have been left unable to conduct credit checks, generate auto loans, complete sales contracts, track their inventory or execute other sales processes digitally.

CDK Global had begun to restore its systems by June 23, but the company said at the time that it expected the process to take “several days.”

The cyberattack that struck CDK Global was one of several such incidents that have taken place in recent weeks, with some of these attacks targeting software companies and ultimately affecting large swaths of sectors and businesses that rely on them.

It was reported Friday (June 28) that the hackers who struck CDK Global are affiliated with a Russia-backed group that has been tied to 96 extortion attempts since May 2023 and has likely committed dozens more.

The PYMNTS Intelligence report “Fraud Management in Online Transactions” found that most eCommerce merchants suffered cyberattacks or data breaches in the past year. Eighty-two percent of such businesses saw an attack in that time, and 47% said the breaches resulted in both lost revenue and lost customers.