Asahi Restarts Beer Production After Cyberattack
Japan's most popular beer is back in production, but its maker, Asahi Group, is still picking up the pieces after a crippling cyberattack forced a nationwide brewing shutdown and left retailers scrambling for stock.
The company has restarted all six of its domestic breweries that produce Super Dry, its best-selling lager, after a ransomware attack on September 29th halted operations across most of its 30 Japanese factories. “We are continuing our investigation into the possibility of a data leak to determine its nature and scope,” said Asahi CEO Atsushi Katsuki, confirming the incident was ransomware.
Even though brewing has resumed, order and shipment systems are still offline. Asahi is relying on manual processes — pen, paper, phones, and even fax machines — to get beer to izakayas, convenience stores, and supermarkets that were teetering on the edge of running dry.
Retail chains like 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, and Lawson had warned last week of looming shortages. Super Dry is a staple in Japan, and the brewing shutdown hit just as end-of-year demand begins to pick up.
Asahi said all six beer plants have restarted, though not yet at full capacity. The company also confirmed seven food plants have resumed operations — but like the breweries, they’re still not running normally. As for soft drinks, two factories are up and running partially, while five more are set to restart “gradually in accordance with shipments.”
The good news: the attack did not compromise the production systems themselves. Instead, it was the company’s ability to process and deliver orders that brought everything to a halt. However, the hack could have serious financial consequences if the disruption continues. Analysts at Bernstein said that if operations aren’t restored by the end of the month, Asahi may have to slash its fourth-quarter profits by up to 83% in Japan — and 38% globally. There’s also the issue of out-of-stock penalties, which Asahi might have to pay to major retailers due to supply delays.
While the cyberattack affected only Asahi’s Japan operations, the ripple effects have been significant. Japan accounts for roughly half of the company’s global sales. The company also owns major global brands like Peroni, Pilsner Urquell, Grolsch, and Fuller’s in the UK — none of which were affected.
Despite the ongoing mess, investors seemed cautiously optimistic. Asahi’s stock bounced back 1.6% on Monday, after dropping more than 7% last week when the shutdown news broke.
Still, the incident shines a light on Japan’s vulnerability to cyber threats. Analysts say Japanese companies are often easier ransomware targets due to weaker cyber defenses and a tendency to quietly pay off attackers. Asahi is now working with external cybersecurity experts to investigate the breach and restore systems, but so far, there’s no timeline for full recovery.
