Tire manufacturing giant Bridgestone Americas has confirmed it is responding to a cyberattack that disrupted operations at some of its manufacturing facilities this week.
In a statement, the company asserted that the incident has been contained and that business is now operating normally, though a full investigation into the breach is ongoing.
Bridgestone acknowledged that it identified a “limited cyber incident” that impacted its production capabilities. “We have launched a comprehensive forensic analysis and believe we contained the incident early,” the company stated.
The disruption directly impacted plant workers. At facilities including the company’s two plants in Aiken County, South Carolina, employees whose normal duties were halted were reportedly given a choice: stay on-site to perform preventive maintenance and receive a full day’s pay, or opt to go home without pay.
While Bridgestone’s official statements characterize the incident as “limited,” reports from local officials suggest a potentially more widespread event. Pierre-Luc Bellerose, Mayor of Joliette, Quebec, where Bridgestone operates a large plant, told local media that he believes the attack affected all of the company’s factories in North America.
Mayor Bellerose, who contacted company executives after being alerted to the situation, noted that an internal memo was sent to employees. The Joliette plant alone employs an estimated 1,400 people.
A primary concern in any cyberattack is data security. On this front, Bridgestone has moved to reassure its stakeholders, stating, “it doesn’t believe any customer data was affected in the incident.” Mayor Bellerose echoed this sentiment after his conversations with the company. “No information has been compromised, either for employees or customers,” he said. “I’ve been reassured on that front.”
This event marks the second major cybersecurity challenge for Bridgestone in recent years. The company suffered a significant ransomware attack in 2022 that also forced production to a halt and was attributed to the LockBit hacking group.
As the forensic investigation continues, the exact nature of this new cyber incident and the full scope of its impact remain under review. In a written statement, Bridgestone Americas reiterated that it is “continuing its investigation” while maintaining that business is proceeding as usual.
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