Bridgestone has confirmed it is addressing a cybersecurity incident that disrupted operations at several of its manufacturing facilities in North America.

According to local media reports, the incident affected two tire production plants in Aiken County, South Carolina, on September 1. While the sites continued running, employees whose work was directly impacted were given two options: remain on-site to perform preventive maintenance while receiving full pay, or leave without compensation.

In Joliette, Quebec, operations at a plant employing approximately 1,400 people have been halted since August 31. Following concerns about potential loss of income, Bridgestone announced that affected employees would receive daily compensation of CAD $200 (USD $145).

Despite the operational disruptions, the mayor of Joliette confirmed that Bridgestone assured local authorities that no sensitive data — whether employee or customer-related — had been compromised.

In a statement to Infosecurity Magazine, a Bridgestone spokesperson emphasized that the company acted quickly to mitigate the threat:

“We continue to investigate a limited cyber incident impacting some of our manufacturing facilities. Our team responded rapidly to contain the issue in line with established protocols. While forensic analysis remains ongoing, we are confident that we contained this incident early and have no indication that customer data or systems were affected.”

The tire manufacturer has not disclosed details on the nature of the attack or whether it involved ransomware, but the company maintains that the event was contained and limited in scope.

This incident highlights the growing challenges faced by global manufacturers, where operational continuity and cybersecurity are increasingly intertwined. As industrial systems remain high-value targets for cybercriminals, proactive monitoring, incident response readiness, and communication with stakeholders remain critical for minimizing both operational and reputational risks.

Source: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/bridgestone-confirms-limited-cyber