Outage Enters Seventh Day: Paperwork Piles Up at Dealers

The crippling cyberattack on CDK Global (CDK)

The crippling cyberattack on CDK Global has plunged the automotive industry into turmoil, leaving a vast network of dealerships in the United States and Canada without access to crucial software for an alarming seven days.

The affected system is the backbone of dealership operations, managing a wide spectrum of functions, including sales, service, parts, financing, registrations, and payroll processing. The prolonged outage has thrown dealership operations into disarray, with no clear resolution in sight until possibly July.

Paperwork Piles Up at Dealers (CDK)

CDK Global’s response to the crisis has been marked by a deafening silence, with no public statements or acknowledgments on its website. Despite repeated attempts by Motor1 to secure a comment or update, the company has maintained a stubborn silence.

However, CDK Global CEO Brian MacDonald has broken the silence, assuring Automotive News that the company’s leadership and sales teams are actively engaging with customers daily to find temporary solutions.

As the situation continues to revealed, dealerships are growing increasingly frustrated, struggling to manage their operations without access to this critical software. The prolonged outage has raised concerns about data security and the potential long-term consequences for CDK Global and its customers.

The automotive industry is holding its breath, awaiting a resolution to this crisis and hoping for a swift recovery from the devastating impact of this cyberattack. With each passing day, the urgency grows, and the need for a solution becomes more pressing.