Massive Cyber-Attack on Asahi Affects 1.5 Million Customers in Japan

Tokyo, Japan: Japan's prominent beverage firm, Asahi, has disclosed that a severe cyber-attack in September potentially compromised the personal information of more than 1.5 million customers. The incident disrupted operations across the company’s Japanese factories, leading staff to process orders manually.

According to Asahi, the incident likely impacted individuals who reached out to their customer support teams, and affected customers will receive notifications soon. The company also stated it would postpone the announcement of its annual financial results to tackle the implications of the cyber-attack.

Initial investigations revealed that the disruption took place at one of Asahi’s data facilities on September 29. While the system was promptly isolated, hackers had already penetrated the network, encrypted data, and initiated ransomware—a type of malicious software that restricts access to files until a ransom is fulfilled.

The exposed information could contain names, genders, addresses, and contact numbers of approximately 1.52 million customers. Data from around 107,000 past and present employees along with 168,000 family members could also have been compromised. In addition, contact information of 114,000 external business partners was associated with the breach. Asahi confirmed that credit card details were not part of the leaked information.

The company has not discovered any proof that the stolen data has been released publicly, and the attack was limited to systems managed in Japan. Brands owned by Asahi in Europe, such as Peroni and Fuller’s Brewery in the UK, remain unaffected.

This cyber-event has led to shortages of beverages, including ginger beer and soda water, in stores across Japan. Holding a 40% share of the Japanese beer market, Asahi is gradually resuming its shipments.

Asahi’s president and CEO, Atsushi Katsuki, expressed regret over the disruptions, stating, “We are taking all necessary steps to restore systems promptly while reinforcing our information security protocols to prevent future incidents.”

In recent years, cyber-attacks on significant global firms have surged. Similar incidents have impacted other major brands, including Jaguar Land Rover, which faced financial troubles after a cyber-attack incapacitated its British operations.