Cyberattack Paralyzes Japan’s Asahi Brewery
Asahi Group Holdings, Japan’s largest brewery, is facing a serious crisis following a cyberattack on September 29, 2025.
The incident shut down 30 factories in the country, halting order processing, shipments, and even customer service operations.
The company, which owns well-known brands such as Asahi Super Dry, Nikka whiskey, and Mitsuya cider, stated that no personal data leaks have been identified. However, there is still no timeline for when operations will return to normal.
Operations in Europe were not directly impacted, as the attack was limited to the company’s facilities and systems in Japan.
The disruption affects both the domestic market and global supply chains, highlighting the vulnerability of major corporations amid the surge in cyberattacks.
Jaguar Land Rover: multimillion-dollar losses
The Asahi case adds to a growing list of attacks against multinational corporations. On August 30, Jaguar Land Rover, the British luxury automaker owned by India’s Tata Motors, suffered a ransomware attack.
Confirmed on September 2, the breach forced the company to shut down its global systems, halting production and sales for weeks.
The shutdown in the United Kingdom lasted nearly four weeks. According to Reuters, the company kept its plants closed until October 1, when production gradually resumed.
The automaker operates three factories in the UK, producing about 1,000 vehicles per day. As reported by the BBC, the shutdown has resulted in at least £50 million in weekly losses (around US$68 million), while many of its 33,000 employees were instructed to stay home.
Bridgestone and other victims
Shortly after, Bridgestone Americas confirmed it had also been hit by a “limited cyber incident.”
The tire manufacturer assured that no customer data had been compromised.
The British retailer Marks & Spencer was also among the companies recently disrupted by similar attacks.
The rise of cyberattacks
Experts note that cyber incidents targeting large corporations have increased by 60% in 2025.
A clear pattern has emerged: major operational shutdowns, but in most cases, without direct theft of consumer data.
Nevertheless, the financial and reputational damages are substantial. Many companies still face the dilemma of whether to pay the ransom demanded by cybercriminals, knowing that doing so does not guarantee systems will be restored.
A warning for all sectors
The attack on Asahi underscores the fact that no sector is immune. From the beverage industry to automotive, tires, and retail, vulnerability is global.
With losses that can reach hundreds of millions of dollars, cybersecurity is no longer just a technical concern. Today, it stands as one of the biggest corporate challenges worldwide.