Cyber attack hits beer and beverage company Asahi Group Holdings

Japanese brewing firm Asahi Group Holdings has been hit by a cyber attack, which has impacted the company’s shipping and customer service operations.

The brewing giant, which operates 30 plants in Japan producing beer, beverages, and food and is headquartered in Tokyo, has suspended operations and production at its domestic factories in Japan following the attack. 

The cyberattack’s system outage has not led to any personal information leaks or a data breach. However, it has affected order processing, shipping, and call center functions.

Disruption limits operations in Japan

It is not yet clear when operations will resume at Japan’s largest brewer, but the company says that European supply lines have not been affected.

The company has not identified the hacker.

Asahi Group Holdings operates brands, including Asahi Super Dry Beer, Nikka Whisky, and Mitsuya Cider. Asahi also owns a global portfolio that includes Peroni, Asahi Super Dry, Grolsch, and Fuller’s London Pride.

This is Japan’s second high profile cyber attack in recent months, as a spate of similar breaches at automakers, retailers, and other companies have been in the spotlight. 

Earlier in September, Jaguar Land Rover temporarily halted production following an attack.

Hackers also targeted the UK retail sector earlier this year when they disrupted high-end grocer Marks & Spencer, supermarket chain Co-op, and luxury department store Harrods.

Asahi has apologized to its customers and business partners in a statement that says: “We are actively investigating the cause and working to restore operations; however, there is currently no estimated timeline for recovery.” 

“The system failure is limited to our operations within Japan. None of Asahi’s manufacturing operations in Europe, including its UK beer supply, is impacted by this incident.” 

In a 2024 report, the company highlighted how a cyber attack was among the main risks it faced in the medium to short term. The report flagged several ways the company responded to the potential threat of cyber attacks and, at the time, said it was reviewing its security system.