cybersecurity
It’s been nearly a year since the devastating CDK Global cyberattack brought operations at thousands of dealerships to a halt—and yet, here we are again. Same criminal group. Same playbook. Different victim. The CDK Hackers just proved you haven’t learned a thing. In late April 2025, Branhaven Motors Inc., a Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram dealership in Branford, Connecticut, … Read more
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 … Read more
If you’re a dealership manager without an IT background, you’re not alone—and you’re not off the hook either. You don’t need to know how to configure a firewall or install an endpoint agent, but you do need to know whether your IT and cybersecurity teams are doing their jobs. Why? Because if they aren’t, you’re … Read more
Economic Chaos = Cyber Risk: Why It’s Time to Rethink How You Defend Your Dealership At first glance, President Trump’s proposed tariffs and the mounting trade tensions might seem like issues for politicians and economists to wrangle with. But if you manage a car dealership, how tariffs and economic uncertainty are increasing cybersecurity risks for … Read more
Let’s play out a scenario. It’s 8:15 AM on a Monday. You’re sipping your coffee, prepping for another day of selling cars, when your IT guy strolls in, tosses his badge on your desk, and says, “I’m out. Just won the lottery!” Congratulations to him. Condolences to you. Because whether he’s heading to Bora Bora … Read more
A comprehensive information security program encompasses policies, procedures, and technologies designed to protect data and systems. It ensures confidentiality, integrity, and availability through risk management, access controls, and incident response. More than just an IT initiative, it’s a business imperative that safeguards your dealership’s reputation, compliance, and bottom line. Key Components of a Comprehensive Information … Read more
A recent Automotive News opinion piece titled “In our opinion: Thwarted dealership cyber attack indicates that lessons from last year have been learned” highlights how the auto retail industry is beginning to apply critical lessons from the 2024 CDK cyber attack. In March, a new cyber threat was successfully blocked by Reynolds and Reynolds’ Proton … Read more
For years, protecting a dealership’s network meant building a digital wall around it, but dealerships must shift to borderless cybersecurity to stay ahead of modern threats. Firewalls, endpoint security, and intrusion detection systems used to be the first line of defense, and they worked well when most people accessing the network were inside its borders. … Read more
In the Wards Automotive article “Steering Clear of Cyberthreats,” cybersecurity expert Erik Nachbahr of Helion Technologies warns that many dealerships are underestimating the complexity and cost of dealership cybersecurity. While IT staff keep systems running, cybersecurity requires specialized skills—and expecting in-house IT teams to manage both roles can lead to serious risk. The article references … Read more