A cyber attack on a US car breathalyzer company has left drivers across the country stranded and unable to start their cars.
Intoxalock says on its website that it is “currently experiencing downtime” following the March 14 cyber attack. Intoxalock sells a breathalyzer device that attaches to a car’s ignition switch and is used by people who are required to provide a negative alcohol breath sample to start their car.
Intoxalock spokesperson Rachael Larson confirmed to TechCrunch that the company had suffered a cyberattack. Larson said the company has taken steps to “temporarily shut down some of our systems as a precautionary measure.”
These breathalyzers need to be calibrated every few months, but a cyber attack prevented Intoxalock from performing these calibrations. The company said customers who require device adjustments may experience delays in starting their vehicles.
Drivers posting on Reddit say that if the adjustment is not made, the car will not be able to start, effectively locking the driver out of the car.
Local news reports from across Maine say drivers are experiencing lockouts, with some unable to start their cars. An auto shop in Middleboro told Boston’s WCVB 5 that cars have been sitting in their parking lot for the past week due to a cyber attack.
News reports from around the country say drivers from New York to Minnesota are being affected, with drivers unable to drive because vehicle-based breathalyzers can’t be adjusted quickly.
Intoxalock declined to say what type of cyberattack it was under, such as ransomware, whether there was a data breach or whether it received any communications from the hackers containing a ransom demand. The company’s technology is used in 46 states and serves 150,000 drivers each year, according to its website.
Intoxalock did not provide an estimated timetable for recovery.
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