A cyberattack on a US vehicle breathalyzer company has left drivers across the United States stranded and unable to start their vehicles.
The company, Intoxalock, says on her website that it is “currently experiencing downtime” following a cyberattack on March 14. Intoxalock sells breathalyzer devices that fit into vehicle ignition switches and are used by people who must provide a negative breath sample for alcohol in order to start their car.
Intoxalock spokeswoman Rachael Larson confirmed to TechCrunch that the company had been cyberattacked. Larson said the company took steps to “temporarily pause some of our systems as a precautionary measure.”
These breathalyzers are supposed to be calibrated every few months or so, but the cyberattack left Intoxalock unable to perform those calibrations. The company said customers whose devices require calibration may experience delays in starting their vehicles.
Guides suspension on Reddit say cars can’t start if they miss a calibration, effectively locking drivers out of their vehicles.
According to local news across Mainedrivers face lockout and some were unable to start their vehicles. An auto shop in Middleboro he told WCVB 5 in Boston that she had cars parked on her lot all week because of the cyber attack.
News reports from across the United States show that drivers are being affected by New York to Minnesotaand drivers were unable to drive because their vehicle-based breathalyzers cannot be calibrated immediately.
Intoxalock did not say what kind of cyberattack it was under, such as ransomware, or if there was a data breach, or if it had received any communications from the hackers, including any ransom demands. The company’s technology is used in 46 states, its website says, and it claims to serve 150,000 drivers each year.
Intoxalock did not provide an estimated timeline for his recovery.
