Lessons from the CDK Cyber Attack: Why Every Business Needs Contingency Planning

The CDK cyber attack affecting car dealerships is a wake-up call for businesses across all industries. The attack, which has shut down dealerships for days—potentially weeks—highlights the growing cybersecurity risks that all companies face, even those not directly targeted. In this video, we dive into the new normal for cyberattacks and what businesses need to do to stay protected.

What makes this attack different? Hackers aren't just stealing data—they're shutting down critical systems for extended periods. Dealerships relying on a database provider, CDK, are unable to perform essential tasks like vehicle registration and sales electronically, forcing them to revert to paper records. The result? Increased paperwork, errors, and delays that disrupt operations and drain resources.

But it’s not just dealerships at risk. The CDK breach shows how third-party vendors—the platforms businesses rely on—can be a gateway for cyberattacks that impact every client. From sales platforms to inventory management tools and merchant accounts, if the service you depend on is compromised, your entire operation could grind to a halt.

So what can you do? Businesses must implement contingency plans to stay operational during outages. Consider these scenarios:

What if your payment system goes down? Do you have a backup way to process transactions?
What if your CRM crashes? How would you manage leads and customer communications?
What if your data provider experiences an outage? How would you access essential records and information?
The key takeaway is that contingency planning isn't optional. Businesses need to have backups in place to ensure they can continue operations if one of their critical platforms goes offline due to a cyberattack. Don't wait for disaster to strike—anticipate it, plan for it, and adapt quickly to keep your business running smoothly.

For cybersecurity tips, consultation services, and to learn more about protecting your business, visit our website below. ActualHuman.com offers live, one-on-one consultations with licensed experts in cybersecurity, business operations, insurance, and more.