Asahi faces major disruption after cyberattack
A significant cyber incident at Asahi has raised questions about data security and supply resilience just as demand intensifies during a period of ongoing disruption.
Growing concern surrounds Asahi Group after the company acknowledged a possible leak of nearly two million personal records linked to a cyberattack that began in late September.
Company president Atsushi Katsuki apologised publicly and confirmed that operations remain heavily disrupted as logistics teams work towards full recovery by February.
Investigators found that attackers infiltrated network equipment at one of Asahi’s facilities, obtained administrator credentials and accessed servers repeatedly.
Atsushi Katsuki noted that the breach demonstrated significant vulnerabilities, although he stressed that improvements had already been implemented and no ransom had been paid.
Production and shipments across most domestic factories were halted, forcing employees to handle orders manually and slowing the resumption of supply lines.
Competitors Kirin, Suntory and Sapporo have struggled to meet unexpected demand, triggering shipping limits and suspensions on some products across the wider beer industry.
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