Major beer brand loved by Brits stops production after cyberattack

A major Japanese beer maker has halted its operations following a cyberattack. Asahi Group Holdings said it does not know when production and shipping will resume. The cyberattack took place at around 7am on Monday, affecting many of its 30 plants across Japan. A failure in the system means the group has been unable to receive orders, ship products or handle inquiries from customers. Asahi officials said the company is accelerating its efforts to restore operations.

While the group has denied a shortage of drinks any time soon due to stock held by wholesalers and retailers, officials warned that a prolonged system failure could affect product supply. The popular beverage company added that there has been no confirmed leak of personal information or customer data at the moment.

Asahi is the largest brewer in Japan, and it owns global beer brands such as Peroni, Pilsner Urquell, Grolsch and Fullers.

In a statement, the brewer said: "Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd. is currently experiencing a system failure caused by a cyberattack, affecting operations in Japan.

"At this time, there has been no confirmed leakage of personal information or customer data to external parties. However, due to the system failure, the following operations have been suspended: Order and shipment operations at group companies in Japan [and] call center operations, including customer service desks.

"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.

"We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused to our customers and business partners."

This follows a number of large businesses which have faced cyber attacks in recent months, such as Marks and Spencer, Jaguar Land Rover and Harrods.

Global cybersecurity advisor Jake Moore warned of the broader risks associated with cybercrime.

"Once again, cybercrimes are proving how their attacks can bring entire industries to a standstill even without confirmed data theft. This level of disruption of drying up the brewery's operations suggests attackers had significant access and reinforces the need for continued improved cyber hygiene and for the supply chain to be monitored more closely," he told CityAM.