ATLANTA (June 28, 2024) – Force Marketing, a leading marketing technology company that provides the most comprehensive suite of lifecycle marketing solutions in the automotive industry, acknowledges the recent cyber incident involving CDK Global that has caused widespread DMS outage. From the moment this incident occurred on June 19th, our team took immediate action.
On June 20th, we proactively reached out to all Force Marketing clients to offer support and ensure their data security. We understand that cyber threats are a persistent challenge, and we are committed to providing a robust defense for our clients.
Force Marketing’s commitment to diligence is anchored in awareness, education, strategic planning, vigilant monitoring, and continuous adaptation. To this end, we have an established multi-layered approach that ensures a strong foundation for protecting our business and safeguarding your data:
- Endpoint Detection and Response: Continuously monitor and mitigate potential security breaches to ensure immediate response to threats.
- Penetration Testing: Regular testing identifies vulnerabilities before malicious actors can exploit them, limiting the potential impact of any discovered weaknesses.
- Phishing Exercises and Training: Conduct frequent training to keep all associates aware of suspicious emails and potential phishing attempts.
- Multi-Factor Authentication: Access to information is strictly limited to authorized users through a robust verification process.
- Ongoing Education: Stay informed about new vulnerabilities and continually assess our tools to maintain a secure environment.
- Secure Software Development Methodology: Design our development practices specifically to manage risk and ensure secure software.
- Security Audits: Regular audits govern our practices and hold us accountable to both ourselves and our clients.
We are closely following updates from CDK on DMS restoration. However, we know defenses against future attacks on any software platform requires diligent attention. So as our industry partners resume regular business operations, we feel it important to communicate Force Marketing’s shared path forward:
- Implement additional security measures to analyze and quarantine inconsistent or suspicious data.
- Uphold a commitment to quality checks, ensuring the completeness and integrity of information.
- Maintain open communication with affected clients to provide transparency and support.
- Continue to enhance safeguards to protect client data.
- Deliver timely and accurate marketing services.
We are dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of security and data integrity for our clients. Our proactive approach ensures we are well-prepared to address current and future challenges in the ever-evolving landscape of digital security.
For more information, please contact:
Lisa Bisceglia
Chief Privacy Officer
Force Marketing
LBisceglia@forcemarketing.com
713-748-9722
About Force Marketing
Force Marketing is a leading automotive marketing technology company that provides managed marketing services to car dealers. Our family of brands focuses on partnering and fostering relationships with dealers and OEMs nationwide to maximize ROAS, speed to market and improved lifetime customer value metrics. More information about Force Marketing’s comprehensive suite of tech-enabled products can be found at ForceMKTG.com.
