CDK Cyber Attack Affects 15,000 Dealerships

[Lunentucker]

https://www.cbtnews.com/cdk-global-cyberattack-disrupts-operations-at-15000-dealerships/

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ne...tack-impacts-thousands-of-us-car-dealerships/

Sponsored

 

[Nukizer715]

This is no joke or laughing matter! I work in the parts department back counter (shop counter) at a MAJOR Lincoln dealer and our entire dealer group (10 different dealerships) uses CDK software. We are all back to using pen and paper to write out repair orders and invoices. Every estimate that is handwritten must have part #"s, quantities and sale prices. Our parts catalog software gives us the Suggested List Price. We also have another software called OE Connection that has a locator that shows the last uploaded inventory to see if we ever had the given part #'s. Luckily for us, our warehouses (we have 2 that are a block apart housing $2.5 million in inventory) are in part # order based on the size of the parts. That makes it easier to locate them. Some dealers don't have that luxury and hopefully, but not likely, they printed an inventory pad that shows the bin location for every part in their inventory. We are struggling to some degree, but we are making it work. We have to. Our customers depend on us. When the systems come back online, we will type all of our handwrites into the computers and have real invoices, corrected inventories, and history of repairs for our clients.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Imagine when a backbone goes down, or like happened here, 911 and hospital services all had to resort to the old-fashioned methods. Tracking each patient in a hospital, when a doctor or nurse was there, what meds they may have received - or have yet to receive, an entire 911 system down.

At least dealerships can still talk to each other and write with pen and paper (Ford part numbers must be a killer to have to write by hand - they've been long complex numbers for years)

Reminds me of an episode of Chicago Fire when a ransomware attack took down their 911 system and they had to resort to maps and pencils and radios.

 

[Lunentucker]

This is no joke or laughing matter! I work in the parts department back counter (shop counter) at a MAJOR Lincoln dealer and our entire dealer group (10 different dealerships) uses CDK software. We are all back to using pen and paper to write out repair orders and invoices. Every estimate that is handwritten must have part #"s, quantities and sale prices. Our parts catalog software gives us the Suggested List Price. We also have another software called OE Connection that has a locator that shows the last uploaded inventory to see if we ever had the given part #'s. Luckily for us, our warehouses (we have 2 that are a block apart housing $2.5 million in inventory) are in part # order based on the size of the parts. That makes it easier to locate them. Some dealers don't have that luxury and hopefully, but not likely, they printed an inventory pad that shows the bin location for every part in their inventory. We are struggling to some degree, but we are making it work. We have to. Our customers depend on us. When the systems come back online, we will type all of our handwrites into the computers and have real invoices, corrected inventories, and history of repairs for our clients.

I know. I did IT services for several dealerships who were on these systems. Eggs and baskets.

 

[Nukizer715]

(Ford part numbers must be a killer to have to write by hand - they've been long complex numbers for years)

Ford part #'s are actually fairly easy. There is a prefix, a "basic", and a suffix. the prefix "sometimes" gives a code for the year range and specific model of car/truck, the "basic" is the actual part name, and the suffix is a version # of the part. For example, LX6Z-18124-FA, LX6Z is 2020- Lincoln Corsair, 18124 is the basic for all front shocks, and FA is the newest version of that part. Basic 9601 are air filters, 11002 is a starter, 17528 is a wiper blade ......... and so on.

 

[BourbonRunner]

Imagine when a backbone goes down, or like happened here, 911 and hospital services all had to resort to the old-fashioned methods. Tracking each patient in a hospital, when a doctor or nurse was there, what meds they may have received - or have yet to receive, an entire 911 system down.

At least dealerships can still talk to each other and write with pen and paper (Ford part numbers must be a killer to have to write by hand - they've been long complex numbers for years)

Reminds me of an episode of Chicago Fire when a ransomware attack took down their 911 system and they had to resort to maps and pencils and radios.

We are entirely dependent on increasingly vulnerable tech in all aspects, and don't have the contingency plans in place should it go to pot.

Several years ago Baltimore City government got nailed hard in a ransomware attack. It exposed the lack of adequate IT OPSEC and screwed everything up- payroll, accounts payable and receivable especially. Baltimore is also the only jurisdiction in Maryland that requires a tax lien certificate at transfer to be clear before they'll accept the title to be recorded at the court house. This wasn't just purchases, either- it happened in the middle of the refinance boom. Thousands upon thousands of buyers/sellers and refinances were unable to clarify if they were clear or not on taxes and thus held off on recordation for over a year. Many homeowners missed out on their opportunity to refi at lower rates... and the city lost millions in recordation and transfer tax fees.

Sponsored