Recent Cyber-Attacks Highlight The Urgency Of Strong Cybersecurity For All Businesses

The June Cyberattack on CDK Global: What Small Business Owners Need to Know

Imagine your organization’s critical software system—responsible for closing deals and processing payroll—suddenly goes offline. How would you respond? Could your business continue to function? And how much revenue might you lose?

In June, over 15,000 car dealerships across the US and Canada faced this exact nightmare due to two cyber-attacks on CDK Global, a popular industry software provider. This incident underscores the urgent need for robust cybersecurity measures, especially for small business owners.

What Happened During the Attack?

The first cyber-attack hit CDK Global on the evening of June 18. The company acted swiftly, taking the entire system offline to investigate. Although the system was briefly restored the next day, a second attack forced another shutdown. It appears the system may have been brought back online before all vulnerabilities were fully addressed, leading to the second breach. Cybersecurity experts suggest it could take weeks to fully restore the system.

This disruption forced many dealerships to revert to outdated pen-and-paper methods or halt operations altogether. The incident highlights the risks associated with over-reliance on digital systems, where downtime can freeze crucial business functions such as sales transactions, payroll, and financial management.

The Impact of System Downtime

In today’s fast-paced digital environment, even short periods of system unavailability can cause significant disruptions. Business owners know that no transaction is complete until funds are securely transferred. When digital systems fail, operations come to a standstill, leading to delays, potential financial losses, and a negative impact on customer trust.

What’s Next for CDK Global and Your Business?

CDK Global has not yet disclosed the precise cause of the attacks. Whether this is due to ongoing investigations or other reasons remains unclear. The company’s security team will need to conduct a thorough analysis to determine the extent of the breach and any compromised areas.

For businesses, this incident is a crucial reminder to evaluate their own systems for resilience. Are you prepared to handle a similar situation? Do you have a robust business continuity and recovery plan in place?

Why Your Business Needs a Strong Continuity Plan

If you don’t have a business recovery and continuity plan, you’re at risk. Even if you do, it’s essential to ensure your plan is comprehensive, regularly tested, and capable of managing large-scale disruptions like the one faced by CDK Global.

Get a FREE Security Risk Assessment Today

To protect your business from similar threats, we offer a FREE Security Risk Assessment, which includes:

1. Network Vulnerability Analysis: We’ll identify any weaknesses in your network that could be exploited in a cyber-attack and provide solutions to strengthen your defenses.

2. Continuity and Recovery Planning: We’ll help you develop or refine a recovery plan tailored to your business needs, ensuring you can quickly bounce back if your network or third-party software experiences issues.

Don’t wait for a cyber-attack to expose your vulnerabilities. Call us at (330) 325-4484 
 or click here to book your FREE Security Risk Assessment now.