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A Year After CDK Cyberattacks, Some Dealers Haven’t Learned Their Lesson

By Erik NachbahrJune 26, 2025 · 1 min read

A June 26, 2025 Automotive News article revisits the devastating CDK cyberattacks that struck in mid-2024, shutting down access to dealership management systems for over 15,000 auto retailers. The breach paralyzed operations, forced dealers to revert to pen-and-paper processes, and resulted in an estimated 50,000 lost vehicle sales. Despite the $1 billion in revenue losses and CDK’s reported $25 million ransom payment, some dealerships still haven’t made cybersecurity a priority. Experts like Helion Technologies’ Erik Nachbahr warn that the further the incident fades into the past, the more complacent dealers become. The article emphasizes that the CDK cyberattacks should serve as a lasting wake-up call for the auto retail industry to invest in stronger digital defenses.

The Automotive News article can be found HERE.

About the author

Erik Nachbahr

Founder & President, Helion Technologies

Erik Nachbahr founded Helion Technologies in 1997 and has spent nearly 30 years working exclusively with automotive and heavy truck dealerships. Helion now supports more than 2,000 dealerships and 35,000 end users with managed IT, cybersecurity, FTC Safeguards compliance, Tekion enablement, and managed AI, all under one team. A CISSP, Erik writes and speaks about the parts of dealership technology most operators inherit rather than choose: vendor sprawl, AI governance, and cyber risk. His goal is simple: make the technology work so dealerships can focus on what they do best, selling and servicing cars and heavy trucks.

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