Written by:

Jennifer Davis-Fink
SVP of IT Portfolio
Kinetic Advantage

Protecting Your Dealership After the CDK Global Ransomware Attack
And What Kinetic Advantage is Doing to Keep Your Kinetic 360 Access and Data Safe

Protecting Your Dealership After the CDK Global Ransomware Attack
And What Kinetic Advantage is Doing to Keep Your Kinetic 360 Access and Data Safe

The recent ransomware attack on CDK Global sent shockwaves through the auto industry. For over three weeks, dealerships across the country were left scrambling as their critical Dealer Management Systems (DMS) were crippled.

While the attack on CDK undeniably caused significant disruption, it also presents an opportunity for independent dealers to re-evaluate their cybersecurity posture.

By taking proactive steps, you can significantly reduce the risk of a similar attack impacting your own dealership.

Here are some key actions you can take to protect your logins, data, and overall systems security:

Here are some key actions you can take to protect your logins, data, and overall systems security:

1. Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

MFA adds an extra layer of security beyond just a username and password. This could involve a code sent to your phone or a fingerprint scan. Even if hackers steal your login credentials, they won’t be able to access your systems without the additional verification factor.

2. Educate Your Employees

Phishing attacks are a common way for hackers to gain access to systems. Train your employees to identify suspicious emails and attachments. Encourage them to be cautious about clicking on unknown links or downloading files from unverified sources.

3. Regularly Back Up Your Data

Having a recent backup of your data is crucial in the event of a ransomware attack. Store your backups securely, ideally off-site and disconnected from your main network. This ensures even if your systems are encrypted, you can restore your data without paying a ransom.

4. Keep Software Updated

Software vulnerabilities are a common entry point for cybercriminals. Make sure to regularly update your browser, operating systems, applications, and firmware on all devices connected to your network. Patching vulnerabilities promptly minimizes the risk of them being exploited.

5. Use a Strong Password Policy

Enforce strong password policies for all employee accounts. Avoid using easily guessable passwords and encourage employees to change them regularly. Consider password managers to help generate and store complex passwords securely.

6. Ask Your Vendors About Their Security Measures

Any business likely utilizes a wide variety of different softwares and services from third parties. While it’s easier said than done to suggest that you research the security and privacy policies of each one, it may be worth the effort to at least research or even ask these vendors, especially for any software that maintains and personal or private information.

How Kinetic Keeps Your Kinetic 360 Access and Data Safe

Our customer’s data is of upmost importance and is protected in multiple ways. Information Technology at Kinetic utilizes industry-leading advanced security solutions that offers vulnerability detection, code scanning, and compliance features for top-tier security measures.

Accessing K360 is not just about a login ID and password. Kinetic offers MFA (multi-factor authentication) on login to provide a second layer of security when dealers are accessing their accounts.

Behind the scenes, Kinetic has built-in alerts related to login events that notify us if there are excessive logins, login failures, and other scenarios.

We also track user login statistics for automated analysis and alerts.

Our Commitment to Security
  • Kinetic leverages solutions for Security Information and Event Management (SEIM) and Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR) that include threat detection, investigation, and response measures.
  • Kinetic employs the use of Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) tooling in software engineering to checking for misconfigurations and enforcement of best practices on a daily basis.

  • Kinetic has solutions in place that prevent the discovery, accessibility, and abuse of infrastructure and data resources as well as ensuring that our data is automatically and securely backed up to support business continuity.

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