Bridgestone Restores Operations After Cyberattack, Demonstrating Critical Role of Disaster Recovery and Cybersecurity Measures

Cyber attacks are rising and can disrupt business operations severely. Bridgestone Americas, a major tire maker, recently faced a “limited cyber incident” that halted production at several facilities in North and Latin America.Though operations are now restored, the case shows how critical cyber security preparedness is for global businesses.

Detecting the breach and taking immediate action

The incident occurred after Bridgestone's security team discovered unusual network activity and unauthorized access attempts on its production control systems, particularly its SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) network. SCADA systems are critical to managing industrial operations, thus this is a serious breach.

Bridgestone promptly activated its incident response team, isolated the affected networks, and enhanced monitoring with updated cyber security solutions like Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR). Production was temporarily halted at several sites, including those in South Carolina and Quebec. Some employees stayed on-site to do preventive maintenance at full pay, while others were offered the choice of leaving without compensation.

Local officials first feared that the outbreak had spread to all North American factories. However, Bridgestone acknowledged that the vulnerability was restricted in scope and rapidly closed. Importantly, no evidence indicates that consumer or staff data was compromised.

Restoring operations

After several days of inquiry and containment, Bridgestone stated that it had successfully restored connection between its sites and its central computer network. Production has progressively returned to normal, with plants in North and Latin America ramping back up.

The company highlighted that data security remains its top concern, and that it will continue to monitor systems for any suspicious activities. Third-party cyber security professionals and federal law enforcement agencies are cooperating with the ongoing investigation to determine how the hackers gained access.

Previous attacks and industry concerns

Bridgestone has highlighted that its disaster recovery (DR) and business continuity plans (BCP) played a key role in minimizing downtime and ensuring operations could restart quickly after the cyber attack. As part of its recovery process, the company is reviewing patch management systems, investigating potential zero-day vulnerabilities, and strengthening network configurations to better defend against future threats. While operations are now back on track, Bridgestone has committed to releasing a full post-incident report once forensic investigations are complete, underscoring the importance of proactive cyber security for businesses that rely on interconnected systems.

The critical role of readiness in Cybersecurity

Bridgestone has stated that its disaster recovery (DR) and business continuity plans (BCP) were essential for minimizing downtime and ensuring operations could resume soon following the cyber attack. As part of its recovery efforts, the company is reviewing patch management systems, looking into potential zero-day vulnerabilities, and improving network configurations to better protect against future threats. While operations are again back on track, Bridgestone intends to release a comprehensive post-incident report after forensic investigations are completed, emphasizing the necessity of proactive cyber security for organizations that rely on networked systems.

All businesses should invest in strong cyber security measures before an attack occurs, employing methods such as multi-factor authentication, regular backups, incident response plans, and constant monitoring. Bridgestone's swift response helped to mitigate the damage and restore operations, but as attackers get more sophisticated, businesses must always stay ahead to secure their systems, employees, and consumers.

Information referenced in this article is from Cyber Press & Cyber Security Dive