AM100 seller group JCT600 has been pressured to close down essential IT programs after the enterprise was focused by cyber criminals.

The enterprise informed AM that on Wednesday 14 February, its IT safety programs recognized a possible safety breach and, as a precautionary measure, instantly took a few of its programs offline to allow it to undertake a full IT safety assessment, in an effort to guard knowledge.

It stated that the precautionary step had prompted some delays though this was restricted to administration and didn’t have an effect on the supply of vehicles or stopping clients utilizing the web site as normal to browse for automobiles.

“Our IT staff continues to evaluate the breach, however at the moment there isn’t a proof that any buyer knowledge was accessed,” stated JCT600 in a press release, “and we’ve got full management of the IT programs.

“We’ll put all our servers again on-line as quickly as our cyber specialists have accomplished their assessment and we’re 100% glad {that a} menace not exists. Within the meantime, we’re persevering with to take bookings and ship automobiles, though there’s a little inconvenience and minor delays, however our precedence is to proceed with warning with all potential cyber threats.”

It added that it doesn’t plan to make any additional remark till it is able to present an replace.

JCT600 is the newest automobile retail group to fall foul of a cyber assault.

In December 2022, AM100 seller group Arnold Clark was attacked, forcing the automobile retail large to axe web entry to guard buyer knowledge.

Arnold Clark revealed that its exterior cyber safety consultants had notified the enterprise of “suspicious visitors on our community” late on December 23. As soon as confirmed by its personal cyber staff the choice was made to take down its community voluntarily as a measure to guard our clients’ knowledge, programs and third-party companions.

Because of the disruption to its IT programs, Arnold Clark was unable to finish handovers of automobiles offered to clients earlier than Christmas.

In October 2022, AM reported that Pendragon was understood to have obtained a $60 million (£53m) ransom demand. That assault got here simply two months after Holdcroft Motor Group noticed a few of its core programs “broken past restore” by a cyber assault.