Asahi Group Holdings has cautioned that personal information may have been compromised after the ransomware incident that has disrupted its operations in Japan. 

Last month, the Japanese food and drinks group reported a “systems failure” tied to the cyberattack, affecting production and distribution across the business.

The Super Dry brewer has managed to resume manufacturing but, in a statement today (14 October), the company provided an update on the possible impact the breach has had on data.

Last week, cybercrime organisation Qilin reportedly claimed it was the source of the breach and posted 29 images to its website it claimed to be internal Asahi Group Holdings documents

In today's statement, the Peroni brewer said: “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 unauthorised data transfer.  

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

Asked by Just Drinks whether the personal information in question relates to employees, customers or both, a spokesperson said: “We would like to refrain from providing details at this time, as the matter is currently under investigation.” 

Asahi Group Holdings has also delayed the planned publication of its third-quarter results, citing the incident.  

The company expects to go beyond the 45-day reporting window following the quarter’s close. 

The group said its emergency response headquarters is working with external cybersecurity specialists to restore systems.  

“The impact of this incident on our systems is limited to those managed in Japan,” it added.

On whether there has been any contact with the attackers or a ransom demand, the Asahi spokesperson “to prevent further damage, we are unable to provide specific details regarding the cyberattack”. 

Operationally, Asahi said all six breweries, seven soft drinks plants and seven food factories in Japan are now running.  

Production has “partially resumed” across the sites to align with orders and shipments being handled manually, though full-scale operations have not yet restarted.