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Bridgestone Americas, the North American subsidiary of the world's largest tire manufacturer, is battling a cyberattack that has forced operational disruptions at multiple manufacturing plants. The incident—first detected on September 2—impacted facilities in Aiken County, South Carolina, and Joliette, Quebec, raising alarms about potential ripple effects across the automotive supply chain.

Company officials confirmed the attack in a statement to BleepingComputer, emphasizing rapid containment:

"Our team responded quickly to contain the issue in keeping with our established protocols. While our forensic analysis is ongoing, we remain confident that we were able to contain this limited cyber incident early. We do not believe any customer data or interfaces were compromised."

Despite containment claims, Bridgestone acknowledged teams are working "around the clock" to minimize supply chain fallout and avoid product shortages. The disruption strikes at the heart of industrial operations for a company generating $12 billion in annual sales across 50 North American production sites.

Echoes of LockBit and Escalating Threats

This incident mirrors Bridgestone's 2022 breach by the LockBit ransomware gang, which exfiltrated sensitive data. Though no ransomware group has yet claimed responsibility for the new attack, the pattern highlights systemic risks facing critical manufacturing infrastructure. Operational technology (OT) environments—like those controlling factory equipment—remain high-value targets due to the tangible impact of disruptions.

Why This Matters for Tech Leaders

  1. Supply Chain Fragility: As a tier-1 supplier to major automakers, Bridgestone's production halt could cascade through an already strained automotive ecosystem.
  2. OT Security Gaps: Manufacturing systems often lag in security maturity. Rapid containment claims suggest segmentation limited damage, but recurring breaches indicate persistent vulnerabilities.
  3. Beyond Data Theft: This attack underscores a shift toward disruption-as-objective, where halting production delivers immediate financial leverage for threat actors.

Bridgestone’s dual priorities—maintaining business continuity while protecting data—reflect the complex balancing act industrial giants face. With forensic investigations ongoing, the industry watches for lessons on defending interconnected IT/OT environments against increasingly aggressive adversaries.

Source: BleepingComputer