The nation Confronts Imminent Shortage of its top-selling beer Following Ransomware Incident – Media Accounts
Japan's biggest beer producer, the Asahi company, is reportedly just days away from exhausting its inventory of best-selling beer, Asahi Super Dry, as it struggles to recover from a recent cyber-attack that caused a major system outage.
Production Halt at Numerous Factories
The cyber incident, first reported on Monday, compelled the firm to halt manufacturing at most of its 30 factories nationwide, among them those making its flagship widely consumed lager, Asahi Super Dry.
The corporation, which also produces a popular whisky brand and a range of alcoholic and soft drinks, has not said when it might be able to resume production, causing alarm among distributors and store owners.
The shutdown of Asahi’s local breweries means it could exhaust its stock of Super Dry in two or three days, as per a report on Thursday.
Retail Impact and Customer Worries
As the crisis reached its fifth day, grocery stores and other sellers were bracing for empty shelves, while traditional Japanese bars serving draft and canned Super Dry might need to switch suppliers or witness their customers go without their regular beer.
Super Dry is a staple of Japan’s drinking culture, with 73m cases sold last year, amid a decline in local beer consumption and fierce competition between leading beer companies to launch new products targeting younger drinkers.
Broader Consequences of the Attack
The attackers disrupted Asahi’s ordering and delivery system, forcing the company to postpone indefinitely the launch in the coming weeks of a twelve new products, including soft drinks and protein bars, media reports said.
The company, which has reported the incident to local authorities, said no personal information had been breached in the attack. Its international activities have not been affected.
- Interruption means Asahi is unable to handle or ship orders of food and drink.
- Customer service desks have been temporarily closed.
- Email communication from outside the company is not possible, forcing employees to accept requests by telephone and handle them by hand.
