Asahi Breweries Hit by Cyber-Attack: Customer Data at Risk

Sun Oct 19 2025 15:06:30 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

The Japanese brewing giant Asahi has reported that personal data may have been compromised in a recent ransomware attack that disrupted its production operations extensively.

Asahi Breweries, Japan's largest brewer, has revealed that a cyber-attack may have led to the theft of personal data. The incident forced the company to shut down most of its factories and operate on pen-and-paper systems for order processing. Asahi is investigating the breach and has promised to notify those affected if any personal information is confirmed stolen. The attack was attributed to the Russia-based ransomware group Qilin.

Personal data may have been stolen in the ransomware attack that forced Asahi to halt beer production, the company has said.

Japan's biggest brewer was forced to pause operations at most of its 30 factories in the country after a cyber-attack late last month disrupted everything from beer shipments to its accounting system.

All of Asahi's facilities have now partially reopened and restarted production but computer systems remain down, meaning orders are being processed using pen, paper and fax machines.

In a statement on Tuesday, Asahi said it was investigating whether personal information was stolen in the attack.

The company said its Emergency Response Headquarters were working with cybersecurity experts to restore the system as quickly as possible, and will contact those affected by the hack.

As we continue investigating the extent and details of the impact, focusing on the systems targeted in the recent attack, we have identified the possibility that personal information may have been subject to unauthorized data transfer, it said.

Should the investigation confirm this, we will promptly notify those concerned and take appropriate measures in accordance with applicable laws on the protection of personal information.

It remains unclear what personal information was stolen, and Asahi declined to provide more detail as the matter is currently under investigation.

Asahi Group also owns Fullers in the UK and global brands including Peroni, Grolsch, and Pilsner Urquell. But Asahi said only its systems and operations in Japan - which account for around half of its sales - have been affected by the attack.

Asahi apologised for any difficulties caused by the incident and mentioned that it would delay the disclosure of its third-quarter financial results due to the impacts of the attack.

The cyber-attack has been attributed to the Russia-based ransomware group Qilin, known for previous hacks against major organizations, including the NHS.

This incident underscores the growing threat posed by cyber-attacks to large corporations, with a significant increase in such incidents reported by the UK's National Cyber Security Centre this past year.