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Key Points:
- Australia’s largest automotive dealership group, Eagers Automotive, has been hit with a cyber attack that has affected its IT systems in Australia and New Zealand.
- The company has warned customers and associates to be vigilant for any suspicious activities related to Eagers.
Australia’s biggest automotive dealership group, Eagers Automotive, has fallen victim to a cyber attack that has compromised some of its IT systems in both Australia and New Zealand. The auto giant has experienced an outage that is impeding its ability to trade in certain parts of its business in both countries. In response, Eagers has sent out alerts to its customers, suppliers, and other business associates, urging them to watch out for any unusual or suspicious activities in their IT interactions with the company.
Eagers has already launched an intensive investigation into the cyber intrusion to assess the extent of the damage and ensure that customer and employee information remains secure. At this stage, no misuse of this information has been found, but external incident response experts have been appointed to aid the investigation and response. Eagers stressed that maintaining the privacy and security of customer and employee data is its top priority.
The company has apologized to its customers for any inconvenience caused by the cyber attack. In response to the incident, the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) has placed Eagers Automotive shares in a trading halt while the investigation is ongoing.
This cyber attack comes at a time when Eagers has been actively enhancing its IT protection. In October, the company announced plans to upgrade its cybersecurity capabilities and future-proof its digital business by using software from Check Point Software Technologies. Additionally, in early December, Eagers implemented SentinelOne software to enhance its cybersecurity posture and gain better visibility over its valuable assets.
The recent attack on Eagers Automotive highlights the increasing threat that cybercriminals pose to car retailers. The Australian Automotive Dealer Association (AADA) has issued warnings about the vulnerability of dealerships to cyber attacks. The CEO of the AADA, James Voortman, cited examples of large dealer groups in the UK falling victim to cyber attacks and incurring significant financial losses. Cybercriminals are attracted to car retailers due to the high value of data and money transacted within dealerships. Brian Hay, executive director of Cultural Cyber Security, also warned that international crime syndicates are earning more from cyber attacks than from the international drug trade.
The Australian government and industry organizations are taking the threat of cyber attacks on the automotive industry seriously. The AADA has sponsored workshops by cyber experts to help dealerships protect their IT systems from intrusion. The government has also highlighted the need for increased cybersecurity measures in the automotive sector and has launched initiatives to raise awareness and provide support.
The cyber attack on Eagers Automotive serves as a reminder of the need for robust cybersecurity measures in the automotive industry. As car retailers become more digitized and interconnected, they must invest in effective cybersecurity solutions to protect customer and employee data, safeguard their business operations, and avoid financial losses.
