AutoCanada Reports Cybersecurity Breach Amidst Ongoing Disruptions

AutoCanada Inc., a prominent North American automobile dealership network, announced a significant cybersecurity breach that occurred on August 11, 2024, affecting its internal IT systems.

The incident, which follows a previous cyberattack against CDK Global, threatens to disrupt the company’s operations as it continues to assess the full scope and impact of the breach.

The Edmonton-based company, which operates 84 franchised dealerships across Canada and the United States, took immediate action upon detecting the breach. According to AutoCanada, they engaged leading cybersecurity experts to contain the incident, safeguard their network, and begin a comprehensive investigation. However, the extent to which sensitive data, including customer, supplier, and employee information, has been compromised remains unclear.

While AutoCanada’s dealerships remain operational, the company warned that disruptions may occur until full system restoration is achieved. This incident adds to the challenges AutoCanada has faced in recent months, particularly following a cyberattack on CDK Global, a key software provider for auto dealers in North America. The June breach of CDK Global’s systems caused lengthy bussiness disruptions, contributing to AutoCanada’s financial loss of $33.1 million in the second quarter of 2024.

Founded in Edmonton, AutoCanada is a major player in the automotive retail sector, with 70 dealerships in Canada and 18 in Illinois, USA. The company sells a wide range of vehicles from 28 different brands, including luxury marques such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Porsche. In 2023, AutoCanada generated over $6 billion in revenue and sold more than 100,000 vehicles across its network. The company’s operations also extend to used vehicle sales, auctions, and a comprehensive service network that processes hundreds of thousands of service and collision repair orders annually.

As AutoCanada continues to investigate the breach, it is crucial for businesses and individuals associated with the company to remain vigilant. Potentially impacted individuals, former AutoCanada customers, suppliers, and employees, should monitor their accounts for unusual activity and report any suspicious transactions immediately. It is advisable to update passwords and enable multi-factor authentication on accounts linked to AutoCanada services, and watch out for phishing or scamming attempts via unsolicited communications.

The company has not provided a timeline for the full restoration of its systems, but efforts are underway to mitigate the breach’s impact. AutoCanada’s response to this incident will likely influence its operations and reputation in the months to come, as cybersecurity threats continue to challenge organizations across all sectors.

Responding to our request for a comment and more information about the incident, a company spokersperson sent us the following:

As the investigation is ongoing, we are not able to comment further at this time.

AutoCanada spokesperson