Cyberattack Leads to Beer Shortage as Asahi Recovers

A ransomware attack last week left the Asahi brewery in Japan struggling to take orders and deliver its products domestically, with the company saying a breach on 29 September forced an immediate shutdown of operations and isolation of affected systems. The disruption led to shortages of Asahi beer as ordering and shipments systems were halted and call-centre operations suspended across its brewery, soft drink, and food divisions, according to an October 3 statement.

Four days after the breach, the Qilin ransomware-as-a-service group took credit for the attack, reportedly posting screenshots of what it claimed were internal documents from Asahi systems. Atsushi Katsuki, group CEO and president of Asahi Holdings, apologised and said the firm was continuing its investigation to determine the nature and scope of any unauthorised data transfer while restoring the system and ensuring continued product supply, as per the same statement.

The Asia Pacific region has seen a rise in ransomware activity in 2024 and 2025, with industry observers noting manufacturers’ vulnerability due to thin margins and high dependence on IT and OT systems, according to an advisory released by the US Department of Health and Human Services. Asahi restarted manufacturing operations this week as it works to recover from the incident.