Asahi Cyberattack: Japan's Beer Production Halted

Asahi Group Holdings Experiences Production Halt Following Cyberattack

Asahi Group Holdings, the parent company of the renowned Japanese beer brand Asahi and a diverse range of other beverages, has been impacted by a significant cyberattack. This incident led to a cessation of production activities at its facilities throughout Japan, beginning on Monday.

Currently, the disruption persists, and the duration of the recovery process remains uncertain.

Details of the System Failure

Asahi Group publicly announced the attack via a press release, characterizing it as a “system failure.” Consequently, the company was compelled to temporarily suspend both order processing and shipment fulfillment, alongside its customer support call center functions.

The press release explicitly stated that, as of the time of release, no unauthorized access or data breaches involving personal information or customer data had been detected.

Ongoing Investigation and Production Status

According to a report by Reuters on Tuesday, referencing statements from an Asahi spokesperson, production has not yet been reinstated. A definitive timeline for resuming operations is currently unavailable.

Investigations are underway to determine the full extent of the impact, including whether all 30 of the company’s manufacturing plants across Japan have been affected by the operational pause.

Unanswered Questions

Asahi Group has not yet responded to inquiries from TechCrunch regarding specific details of the cyberattack. These unanswered questions include whether the incident involved ransomware, a financial demand, or the potential theft of sensitive data.

Further updates will be provided as the investigation progresses and more information becomes available.