Bridgestone Americas has confirmed it is investigating a cyber incident that disrupted operations at several of its tire manufacturing plants in North America. The company emphasized that its response team contained the issue quickly, limiting the scope of the attack.
Disruptions in Two Countries
The first reports of trouble emerged on September 2, 2025, when two factories in Aiken County, South Carolina, were affected by an incident linked to the company’s IT systems. By the following day, Canadian media reported that operations at Bridgestone’s plant in Joliette, Quebec, were also interrupted.
In response to press questions, Bridgestone confirmed that the matter is under investigation and described it as a “limited cyber incident.”
Company’s Official Position
According to the company’s statement, teams acted immediately in line with established security protocols. “Our team responded quickly to contain the issue in keeping with our established protocols,” the statement noted.
Bridgestone added that while forensic analysis is still in progress, there is no indication that customer information or external-facing systems were accessed. Employees are working “around the clock” to minimize disruption and maintain operations.
“Maintaining business continuity and protecting data and interfaces has been, and continues to be, our top priority,” a spokesperson said. The company added that it is taking steps to ensure customer obligations are met and to address any possible further impacts.
Scale of Operations
Bridgestone Americas is one of the largest business units of the global Bridgestone Corporation, headquartered in Japan. It operates 50 production facilities across North America and employs approximately 55,000 people. In 2024 alone, the division generated $12 billion in sales and $1.2 billion in operating profit.
With such a large footprint, any disruption to its plants can have a ripple effect on the supply chain. The company acknowledged that the incident could temporarily affect product availability but stressed that mitigation measures are already in place.
No Confirmation of Ransomware
At this stage, Bridgestone has not confirmed whether ransomware was involved, and no criminal group has publicly claimed responsibility. The lack of attribution makes it unclear whether this was a financially motivated attack or another form of intrusion.
The company has faced similar threats before. In 2022, it was hit by a ransomware attack that exposed sensitive data and disrupted business operations, a reminder of the ongoing risks faced by manufacturers worldwide.
Cyber incidents targeting manufacturing stresses upon the vulnerability of industrial systems, where disruptions can extend beyond computers to the machines that run production lines. For consumers, such events may lead to supply shortages and delayed deliveries. For companies, this is wake-up call to invest in proactive security measures to safeguard both operations and customer trust.
Bridgestone has agreed to share updates as the investigation continues.
