Image Credits:Finnbarr Webster / Getty Images8:01 AM PDT · March 20, 2026
A cyberattack connected a U.S. conveyance breathalyzer institution has near drivers crossed nan United States stranded and incapable to commencement their vehicles.
The company, Intoxalock, says on its website that it is “currently experiencing downtime” aft a cyberattack connected March 14. Intoxalock sells breathalyzer devices that fresh into conveyance ignition switches, and is utilized by group who are required to supply a antagonistic intoxicant activity sample to commencement their car.
Intoxalock spokesperson Rachael Larson confirmed to TechCrunch that nan institution had been deed by a cyberattack. Larson said nan institution took steps to “temporarily region immoderate of our systems arsenic a precautionary measure.”
These breathalyzer devices request to beryllium calibrated each fewer months aliases so, but nan cyberattack has near Intoxalock incapable to execute these calibrations. The institution said customers whose devices require calibration whitethorn acquisition delays starting their vehicles.
Drivers posting on Reddit opportunity that cars are incapable to commencement if they miss a calibration, efficaciously locking drivers retired of their vehicles.
According to local news reports crossed Maine, drivers are experiencing lockouts and immoderate person been incapable to commencement their vehicles. One car shop successful Middleboro told WCVB 5 successful Boston that it has had cars parked successful its batch each week owed to nan cyberattack.
News reports from crossed nan United States show drivers are affected from New York to Minnesota, and drivers person been incapable to thrust because their vehicle-based breathalyzers cannot beryllium instantly calibrated.
Intoxalock would not opportunity what benignant of cyberattack it was experiencing, specified arsenic ransomware aliases if location was a information breach, aliases whether it had received immoderate communications from nan hackers, including immoderate ransom demands. The company’s exertion is utilized successful 46 states, its website says, and it claims to supply services to 150,000 drivers each year.
Intoxalock did not supply an estimated timeline for its recovery.
Zack Whittaker is nan information editor astatine TechCrunch. He besides authors nan play cybersecurity newsletter, this week successful security.
He tin beryllium reached via encrypted connection astatine zackwhittaker.1337 connected Signal. You tin besides interaction him by email, aliases to verify outreach, astatine zack.whittaker@techcrunch.com.
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