Cyberattack on brewery group Asahi: Japan runs out of beer
The Japanese brewery Asahi is one of the largest in the world. After a cyberattack, it could no longer keep up with production. The situation is set to improve.
A photo from better days
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After a cyberattack on Japan's largest brewery group led to production being halted for several days, competitors are having problems meeting the additional demand. This was reported by the Japanese daily newspaper Yomiuri Shinbun after the affected brewery Asahi resumed production at the beginning of the week. The company admitted to the cyberattack on 29 September and, according to media reports, later halted production at six Japanese breweries. The ransomware-as-a-service group “Qilin” has since claimed responsibility for the attack. It has allegedly stolen 27 gigabytes of data. It is unclear what the criminals are demanding and whether Asahi has responded.
(Image:Â Screenshot/heise medien)
No replenishment in bars, restaurants, and supermarkets
The brewery group made the attack public on 29 September and admitted the consequences for production. After production had to be halted at several Japanese sites, it is now being restarted. However, there is no timetable for this. The consequences are already being felt across the country. According to the Yomiuri Shinbun, some restaurants and grocery shops have run out of stock, and competitors have been unable to meet the increased demand. The Sapporo brewery, for example, has declared that it will supply its existing customers first. “If this continues, it could culminate in people running out of beer,” the newspaper quotes the boss of a bar in Tokyo as saying.
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Asahi is primarily known for its Japanese beer Asahi Super Dry, but the brewery also sells European beers such as Pilsner Urquell from the Czech Republic, Grolsch from the Netherlands, Tyskie from Poland, and Peroni from Italy. However, only production facilities in Japan were affected by the cyberattack. According to Asahi, it was not just beer that was impacted, but also soft drinks and food. Asahi did not say when production would return to normal and the supply problems would be resolved. The incident is reminiscent of what happened at the British car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover. There, however, production was at a standstill for weeks, and in the meantime, even the local government had to step in with financial aid.
(mho)
