Asahi Ransomware Attack May Have Leaked Personal Data

Japan’s brewing giant Asahi has revealed that personal data may have been stolen during the ransomware cyber attack which struck the company in late September.

The company was forced to halt production at most of its thirty country-based factories after the attack led to major disruption, with ordering, delivery and accounting systems being heavily affected.

As the company grappled with the attack, the impact was quickly felt by major Japanese retailers, including FamilyMart and 7-Eleven, who experienced a shortage of Asahi products like bottled tea and its flagship beer.

Production has now restarted in all of Asahi’s partially reopened facilities, but with the company’s computer systems remaining down, order processing is limited to pens, paper and fax machines.

Meanwhile, Qilin, a notorious Russia-based ransomware group with links to cyber attacks against many major organizations, has claimed responsibility for the attack against Asahi.

In a recent statement, Asahi said its Emergency Response Headquarters were working with cyber security experts to restore its system and investigate whether any personal data had been stolen during the attack. 

Although it was not revealed what the hacker’s extortion demands were, or what kind of personal information they may have accessed, it was said that any parties affected would be contacted in accordance with data protection laws.

“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,” an Asahi spokesperson read.

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

Larger than its fellow Japanese rivals (including Suntory and Kirin), Asahi holds a 37% market share, brewing not just beer, but producing soft drinks and food products. 

While it does also own global brands such as Fullers, Grolsch, Pilsner Urquell and Peroni, the powerhouse brewer has said that the cyber attack impacted its Japan-based operations only.

Due to the attack’s major disruption, Asahi said it will postpone its third-quarter financial results, and that the exact disclosure date would depend on how the company’s system restoration progresses in the coming months. Defend your critical data with our family of innovative cyber security solutions, including the Award-Winning TotalAV antivirus, equipped with cutting edge tools like real-time scanning for industry-leading protection against the very latest, evolving threats.