Asahi Ransomware Crisis: Qilin Attack Paralyzes Production During Peak Beer Season
At the very height of Japan’s corporate party season, as the country prepares for its annual wave of year-end bonenkai celebrations, Asahi has found itself in crisis: more than a month after a powerful ransomware attack crippled its internal infrastructure on September 29, the company’s systems remain largely paralyzed. The Qilin group has claimed responsibility for the breach.
Despite the time that has passed, Asahi’s IT environment is still far from restored. Production and distribution are operating at barely ten percent of normal capacity. Orders must now be placed manually — by phone, in person, or even by fax — turning daily operations into a laborious ritual from a bygone era. For Japan’s beer titan, the timing could not be worse: the end of the year is traditionally its most profitable season, when restaurants and bars purchase beer by the ton.
The Asahi incident is not an isolated case. A similar ransomware attack against office-supply distributor Askul recently caused disruptions at major retail chains and led to customer-data leaks, once again exposing the fragility of supply chains. Competitors have seized the opportunity: Kirin, Suntory, and Sapporo have quickly moved to fill the vacuum, offering bars replacement beer taps, refrigerators, and glassware.
Analysts warn that a prolonged shutdown could have a profound impact on Asahi’s financial performance. In October, Kirin surpassed Asahi in retail sales, driven largely by the popularity of its Ichiban Shibori brand. At 7-Eleven and FamilyMart stores, Asahi products remain scarce, and cans disappear from shelves almost instantly. In Japan — where beer is interwoven with everyday culture — empty shelves feel like a national setback.
Investment firm Bernstein has slashed its profit outlook for Asahi’s fourth quarter, forecasting losses of roughly 15 billion yen (~$97 million). The reasons include increased marketing costs to repair brand reputation and regain customers, as well as delays in processing financial data. Bernstein estimates that the company may fall short of its annual target by 13%. Asahi has also postponed the publication of its quarterly report, citing an inability to properly close its books due to the aftermath of the attack.
The company’s corporate IT proved especially vulnerable: in recent years, Asahi has aggressively acquired foreign brands, leaving its infrastructure a patchwork of disparate platforms. At the time of the attack, the company was in the midst of migrating to a unified digital environment — a transition that has significantly complicated recovery and prolonged remediation efforts.
Yet even amid the turmoil, Asahi retains loyal partners. The owner of Tokyo’s historic bar Bier Reise ’98, Koei Matsuo, stated that he has no intention of changing suppliers and remains confident in the brand’s revival. Asahi’s future now hinges not only on restoring its technical systems, but also on rebuilding customer trust and reclaiming its standing in one of the world’s most fiercely competitive beer markets.
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