Asahi Breweries Faces Cybersecurity Crisis: Personal Data Breach Confirmed

Tue Oct 14 2025 23:00:20 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A ransomware attack has prompted Asahi Breweries, Japan's largest brewer, to halt its production and investigate potential data theft involving personal information.

Asahi Breweries has paused operations at its factories due to a ransomware attack that disrupted its systems, potentially exposing personal data. The company is currently investigating the breach while operating through traditional methods amid the system failure. Asahi has announced plans to notify affected individuals if data theft is confirmed.

Asahi Breweries, Japan's largest beer producer, faces a significant cybersecurity crisis following a ransomware attack that has led to the potential theft of personal data. The attack has forced the company to halt operations across most of its 30 factories in Japan.

After the attack occurred last month, Asahi's systems were rendered inoperable, disrupting essential functions from beer shipments to accounting. Currently, all operations have partially resumed, but the brewery is relying on manual processes, including pen and paper, to handle orders.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Asahi confirmed that they are investigating the extent of the cyber-attack and examining the possibility of unauthorized access or transfer of personal information. The company has emphasized that they will take swift action should the investigation determine that any personal data has indeed been compromised.

Asahi's Emergency Response Headquarters is collaborating with cybersecurity experts to restore its systems quickly. Should there be confirmation of a data breach, the company promises to notify the affected individuals and adhere to legal obligations regarding personal data protection.

The specifics of the data potentially stolen remain unclear, as Asahi has not disclosed detailed information related to the breached data. The attack has also forced the company to postpone the release of its third-quarter financial results, which it claims will depend on the speed of system restoration.

Notably, the Russia-based ransomware group Qilin has claimed responsibility for the attack, adding Asahi to a list of high-profile organizations affected by similar breaches, including the NHS in the UK. This incident highlights the growing prevalence of cyber-attacks on major companies worldwide.

Asahi Group, which also owns various international brands like Peroni and Grolsch, has stated that the attack primarily impacted its Japanese operations, which contribute to roughly half of its sales. The ongoing cybersecurity threat is a concern echoed by the UK's National Cyber Security Centre, which reported a surge in significant cyber-attacks over the past year.