Asahi, a major player in the Japanese beverage market, has announced the partial resumption of production at all six of its breweries across Japan. This move comes after the company was compelled to halt operations due to a significant cyberattack that impacted its ordering and delivery systems.
The disruption had a noticeable effect on the availability of Asahi’s popular products, with major retailers like 7-Eleven and FamilyMart previously reporting low stock levels of Asahi Super Dry, the nation’s top-selling beer. The cyberattack has also affected Asahi’s food and soft drink production lines.
While the beer production facilities are now partially operational, Asahi has indicated they are not yet running at full capacity. Similarly, some soft drink factories that have reopened are also operating below normal levels. The company is gradually bringing five other soft drink plants back online, coordinating with shipment schedules.
Notably, Asahi’s food production plants have resumed operations, though they too are not yet at full capacity. The company has clarified that the production machinery itself was not compromised, but the inability to process orders and manage shipments necessitated the shutdown.
This incident marks another instance of major corporations facing operational challenges due to cyber threats, following similar disruptions experienced by other global companies. Asahi, which also owns well-known international brands like Peroni and Pilsner Urquell, has confirmed that the impact is confined to its Japanese operations, which constitute approximately half of its global sales.
Previously, Asahi had stated it could not provide a definitive recovery timeline but was collaborating with cybersecurity experts to restore its systems as swiftly as possible.