Auxo, a software company serving car dealerships and workshops, fell victim to a cyberattack orchestrated by overseas hackers, resulting in the theft of confidential client information and a subsequent blackmail attempt. Seeking legal recourse, Auxo pursued a restraining order from the High Court to prevent the dissemination of client data online. While the company’s software is widely utilized in the automotive industry, affecting 50% of vehicle workshops and 40% of dealerships nationwide, the extent of the breach and its impact on clients remains undisclosed, prompting Auxo to take swift legal action to mitigate the situation.
The cyberattack poses a significant threat to Auxo’s clients, with hackers threatening to release the stolen information on the dark web unless a ransom is paid. Named in the High Court judgment as a potential target, Hamilton car dealership Coombes Johnston European Ltd is among those potentially affected by the breach. While Coombes Johnston asserted that its internal IT systems remained uncompromised, the dealership is investigating the extent to which its information may have been involved, highlighting the widespread implications of the cyberattack across the automotive sector.
Auxo’s affiliation with the Motor Trade Association (MTA) underscores the broader implications of the cyberattack for the automotive industry as a whole. Despite the severity of the breach, details regarding the ransom demand remain undisclosed, with Auxo’s chief executive refraining from commenting on the matter. The incident underscores the increasing vulnerability of businesses to cyber threats and emphasizes the urgent need for robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard sensitive client information and mitigate the risk of future attacks in the automotive sector and beyond.
