Nearly all of the 15,000 car dealerships in North America that use CDK Global’s software are now back online following a cyber incident that caused a software blackout. The outage began on June 19 after two cyber incidents took down CDK’s systems, which provide software to thousands of car dealerships across North America. This software is used by auto dealerships for tasks such as scheduling and record management.
The restoration of CDK’s software is a positive step towards normal operations resuming. Despite previous promises of a fix being in order, both car buyers and dealers had been left at a standstill. The outage made it challenging for dealers to track customer interactions, orders, and sales, impacting their ability to earn a living. Salespeople like Bernard Irvin, from a Ford dealership in South Carolina, expressed concerns about the impact of the outage on their paychecks and daily operations.
The progress made in restoring CDK’s software system is a welcome development for car dealerships across North America. It is a relief for many dealers and salespeople impacted by the blackout, offering hope for a return to normal business operations in the near future. The company has stated that the outage would have resulted in significant financial losses for car dealerships if it had lasted for a full three weeks. CDK’s system collapse could have led to approximately $944 million in direct losses for affected car dealerships due to business interruptions.
