Asahi Experiences Major Cyber-Attack, Data of 1.5M Customers Leaked in Japan

Post by : Raina Nasser

Tokyo, Japan: In a concerning development, Asahi, a leading Japanese beer manufacturer, disclosed that a cyber-attack this September has compromised the personal information of approximately 1.5 million customers. The breach led to operational disruptions at various factories, necessitating manual order processes by staff.

According to Asahi, those affected are likely individuals who interacted with its customer service, and the firm plans to inform them shortly. The company has decided to delay the announcement of its full-year financial results to concentrate on resolving the issues stemming from the cyber incident.

Initial inquiries indicate that the attack originated from one of Asahi’s data centers on September 29. Although the system was promptly isolated, the attackers managed to infiltrate the network, encrypting data and deploying ransomware, which restricts access to files until a ransom is paid.

The compromised data could encompass names, genders, addresses, and contact information of around 1.52 million individuals, including details of approximately 107,000 current and former employees and 168,000 family members of staff. Furthermore, contact data for 114,000 external business partners was connected to this breach. Asahi has clarified that no credit card information was part of the leaked data.

The company has found no signs that the stolen data has been publicly exposed, and the incident was restricted to systems within Japan. Operations of Asahi's European brands, including Peroni and Fuller’s Brewery in the UK, remained unaffected.

The cyber-attack has led to shortages in beer and beverages, such as ginger beer and soda water, in retail outlets all over Japan. With around 40% market share in the Japanese beer sector, Asahi is gradually restoring its shipments.

In light of the commotion, Asahi's president and CEO, Atsushi Katsuki, expressed his apologies for the disruption, stating, “We are making every effort to restore all systems as quickly as possible while strengthening our information security measures and preventing future incidents.”

As cyber-attacks on major corporations continue to escalate globally, similar incidents have recently plagued other well-known brands, including Jaguar Land Rover, which faced significant operational hurdles following a cyber-attack on its UK manufacturing sites.