PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Hackers are targeting auto dealerships all around the nation, which is interfering with people’s ability to purchase and fix their cars and may potentially compromise personal data.
Dealerships employ CDK Global software. A few days back, CDK was compromised. Every hack also increases the chance that your data will be available for purchase on the dark web.
It’s taking place all throughout the country.
“Attacking 15,000 dealerships worldwide,” Experian Vice President of Consumer Protection Michael Bruemmer stated on Friday.
A hack on their primary software affected every aspect of the car-buying and car-servicing procedure.
“Car sales, parts sales, title and insurance processing, and even payroll processing,” Bruemmer stated.
Many dealers are turning to pen and paper due to the backlog, so you may have to wait a bit before your next visit. Experts advise calling beforehand to find out your alternatives. Additionally, since the dealership might not be able to obtain your registration while you’re there, schedule a personal visit with the DMV.
There is an increasing number of cyberattacks, and your personal data is always vulnerable. Experts advise assuming you’re impacted if you’ve ever done business with a dealership and taking the following safety measures:
A credit report check is a smart idea. Usually, you can accomplish this for nothing at least once a year. Additionally, you ought to freeze your credit file or, at the very least, place a fraud warning on your credit report.
“Anyone attempting to open a new line of credit or make changes to that file won’t be able to if your credit file is frozen,” Bruemmer stated. “They’ll need to get in touch with you and tell you to take the freeze off. It’s a fantastic method for keeping things secure and feeling at ease.
To put a freeze on place, you will need to get in touch with Transunion, Equifax, and Experian credit bureaus. Certain credit bureaus allow you to select the time frame. If not, each person must be contacted in order to remove the freeze.
If you have an online account with a dealership or anything related to cars, Bruemmer advised changing any passwords you could have linked with it.
You might be receiving phone calls, texts, or emails purporting to be scammers if your data has already been hacked.
Bruemmer advised against answering any unannounced calls or anything unexpected because you never know who can try to con you over the phone or even get your voicemail.