Qilin extortion operation claimed responsibility for a ransomware attack on Japanese brewer Asahi Group Holdings after listing the organization on its darknet leak site on October 7.
In a listing that was first noted by the consumer internet site ComparitechThe Qilin gang said it forced its victim to close six breweries, with the attack affecting 30 sites, potentially causing significant damage to the organization's profits.
The cybercriminals claimed to have stolen between nine and ten thousand files containing 27 GB of data. According to them, the data warehouse includes financial documents, budgets and contracts, planning and development forecasts, and employee data.
The veracity of Qilin's claims has not been proven, but in his latest statement regarding the security incident, dated October 3, – Asahi confirmed it was the victim of a ransomware attack although he did not provide any further details about the identity of the perpetrators.
The organization said it took immediate measures to contain and respond to the attack, with the highest priority given to protecting critical data, including customer and partner information.
Asahi said it has reason to suspect the data was stolen and an investigation into the matter is ongoing. The company has suspended some operations in Japan, including orders and product deliveries, but hopes to restore some systems this week.
Atsushi Katsuki, president and CEO of Asahi Group, said: “I would like to sincerely apologize for any difficulties experienced by our stakeholders as a result of the recent system outage. We are continuing our investigation to determine the nature and scope of potential unauthorized data transfers.”
“We are working hard to restore the system as quickly as possible, while implementing alternative measures to ensure continued supply of products to our customers. We appreciate your understanding and support.”
Stopping production
Asahi has reportedly warned retailers in Japan that beer supplies could soon run out. breathtaking Senior cyber business manager Kevin Marriott said that while Asahi's outage was limited to Japan, the company accounts for nearly 40% of the country's domestic beer market and the outage would be costly.
“As we have recently seen in the retail sector and JLR [Jaguar Land Rover]Production and supply chain disruptions can be extremely costly for businesses. That’s why having procedures in place to protect operations is critical,” he said.
“Cyber criminals are increasingly targeting the operations of global brands, with Asahi being the latest victim. Manufacturing networks are complex ecosystems spanning legacy infrastructure, external suppliers, diverse technologies, and competing priorities for security and availability. A breach in one area can quickly spread through supply chains and disrupt operations. True Cyber Resilience means organizations can anticipate, counter and respond to attacks without any effort. forced to stop production.”
Citing data from a recent Censuswide survey of chief information security officers (CISOs) conducted on behalf of the company, Absolute safety Senior Vice President of International Affairs Andy Ward said the attack on Asahi proved how costly business downtime can be in the event of a cyber breach.
“Production stoppages are no longer a rare event: our research shows that 77% of UK security leaders say downtime due to cyber attacks is now one of their biggest concerns, and almost two thirds fear the financial impact of ransomware could cripple their organization,” he said.
“This incident also reflects a wider reality: our research found that 59% of CISOs already view cybersecurity as the single biggest threat facing the UK right now, above artificial intelligence and other risks.
“True resilience is not about preventing every attack, but about building the ability to anticipate, resist and recover quickly enough to keep operations running. For manufacturers, where legacy infrastructure, supply chains and security are intertwined, this means rethinking resilience strategies before the next disruption hits the headlines,” Ward said.
In addition to its namesake Asahi Super Dry lager, Asahi also produces a number of other beers, many of which, such as Grolsch and Peroni, are acquired from Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller. In 2019, the company also acquired the brewing operations of the British company Fuller, Smith & Turner, including the famous Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, London. The incident is not believed to have affected any of its operations outside Japan.
