Cyberattack cripples U.S. auto dealerships' operations

[Stevicus]

Cyberattack cripples U.S. auto dealerships' operations - UPI.com

Thousands of car dealers in the United States are struggling to handle virtually all areas of their business, including sales and services, because their software vendor was hacked this week.

www.upi.com

Bloomberg reported a group claiming to have hacked the system is demanding tens of millions of dollars, and the company intends to pay the amount but discussions are subject to change. A Bloomberg source said the hack is believed to be based in eastern Europe.

Roughly 15,000 car dealers depend on CDK's dealer management software to run their businesses. That includes payroll, inventory, customer relations and office operations. Dealers also line up with financing and insurance with the system.

Yet another U.S. computer system is hacked from a foreign land, possibly Eastern Europe. They're demanding tens of millions of dollars, and the company is actually intending to pay it.

I'm not sure if it's a good idea to pay it. It used to be "billions for defense and not a penny in tribute" and "don't make deals with terrorists."

If they're willing to pay tens of millions in ransomware, then the data in question must be worth much more than that. Still, one might well wonder how it happens anyway. Are these underground amateurs so much better at understanding computer technology than the top professionals who are paid top dollar to secure these systems?

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Honestly, I don't know. Number one job of the company is to stay in business for its shareholders, so far as I understand it. If their security is hacked, then they might well decide to pay for their own inability to secure their systems as they should.

That said, it only encourages the hackers and others like them to continue searching for ways to break into supposedly secure systems, and seek more ransom. It's a tough call.

Humans have been trying to create unbreakable codes and totally secure systems forever -- and others have been trying to crack those codes and break into those systems for just as long. As far as I know, no perfectly unbreakable code, nor any completely secure system, has ever been devised. I don't even know if it is theoretically possible, as quantum computers begin coming online and doing blindingly fast calculations using massively parallel processing.

 

[Stevicus]

Honestly, I don't know. Number one job of the company is to stay in business for its shareholders, so far as I understand it. If their security is hacked, then they might well decide to pay for their own inability to secure their systems as they should.

That said, it only encourages the hackers and others like them to continue searching for ways to break into supposedly secure systems, and seek more ransom. It's a tough call.

Humans have been trying to create unbreakable codes and totally secure systems forever -- and others have been trying to crack those codes and break into those systems for just as long. As far as I know, no perfectly unbreakable code, nor any completely secure system, has ever been devised. I don't even know if it is theoretically possible, as quantum computers begin coming online and doing blindingly fast calculations using massively parallel processing.

I've always known the technology was imperfect and subject to failure and malfeasance, so I utilize it with that in mind, while never putting complete trust in it.

 

[Alien826]

Cyberattack cripples U.S. auto dealerships' operations - UPI.com

Thousands of car dealers in the United States are struggling to handle virtually all areas of their business, including sales and services, because their software vendor was hacked this week.

www.upi.com

Yet another U.S. computer system is hacked from a foreign land, possibly Eastern Europe. They're demanding tens of millions of dollars, and the company is actually intending to pay it.

I'm not sure if it's a good idea to pay it. It used to be "billions for defense and not a penny in tribute" and "don't make deals with terrorists."

I would say don't pay in all circumstances. The only fool proof way to stop this is to make it so it is never rewarded. Maybe we need hacking insurance so the losses are shared, but still don't pay.

If they're willing to pay tens of millions in ransomware, then the data in question must be worth much more than that. Still, one might well wonder how it happens anyway. Are these underground amateurs so much better at understanding computer technology than the top professionals who are paid top dollar to secure these systems?

No, I don't think so. I'm not totally up to date, but I think the weak link is typically a user that can be fooled into divulging their password. Another is systems that don't get updated. These fixes often close loopholes in the system itself.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I'm pretty sure that ransom money is going to be followed by somebody right back to the source.

 

[Revoltingest]

. Are these underground amateurs so much better at understanding computer technology than the top professionals who are paid top dollar to secure these systems?

It takes less intelligence & skill
to destroy than it does to create.

 

[JIMMY12345]

Cyberattack cripples U.S. auto dealerships' operations - UPI.com

Thousands of car dealers in the United States are struggling to handle virtually all areas of their business, including sales and services, because their software vendor was hacked this week.

www.upi.com

Yet another U.S. computer system is hacked from a foreign land, possibly Eastern Europe. They're demanding tens of millions of dollars, and the company is actually intending to pay it.

I'm not sure if it's a good idea to pay it. It used to be "billions for defense and not a penny in tribute" and "don't make deals with terrorists."

If they're willing to pay tens of millions in ransomware, then the data in question must be worth much more than that. Still, one might well wonder how it happens anyway. Are these underground amateurs so much better at understanding computer technology than the top professionals who are paid top dollar to secure these systems?

This is why Obama did a deal with Iran to allow them to keep their reactors.The problems they could unleash with Cyber was to bad to contemplate.
USA used Stuxnet to slow down their centrifuges and stepped them up again.This was a clever virus.However Russia,China N Korea have copied technology of the same ilk .They can bring down power,nuclear,water,communications of any country and blame the hack on someone else.Russia could attack China or vice versa.

 

[Revoltingest]

This is why Obama did a deal with Iran to allow them to keep their reactors.The problems they could unleash with Cyber was to bad to contemplate.
USA used Stuxnet to slow down their centrifuges and stepped them up again.This was a clever virus.However Russia,China N Korea have copied technology of the same ilk .They can bring down power,nuclear,water,communications of any country and blame the hack on someone else.Russia could attack China or vice versa.

US leaders fail to consider that if they attack a country,
that country & its allies just might retaliate.