Japan is running out of its favorite beer after ransomware attack

Japan is on the brink of a beer shortage, with Asahi Super Dry, the country's favorite brew, nearly depleted due to a severe cyber attack. The assault has incapacitated the majority of Asahi Group's 30 breweries, halting operations since Monday and disrupting their ordering and delivery systems. As the outage extends into its fourth day, retailers are bracing for empty shelves. Many establishments, including izakayas that serve Asahi on draught, could soon find themselves without stock. Lawson, a major convenience store chain in Japan, has warned that its inventory of Asahi products may dwindle imminently, stating, "It is possible that some of these products may become increasingly out of stock from tomorrow onwards." An executive from a leading retailer expressed concern over the widespread impact, predicting that supermarkets could exhaust their supplies of Super Dry within two to three days, while Asahi’s food products might last about a week. In response to the shortage, retailers are considering alternative brands like Suntory and Kirin, but many customers remain loyal to the distinct taste of Super Dry. Asahi Group has refrained from commenting on the potential shortage or the status of retailer inventories. The brewery typically produces around 6.7 million large bottles of beer daily, according to calculations from the Financial Times based on projected sales for 2024. This incident is part of a wider trend of cyber attacks targeting major companies, causing significant disruptions. Just earlier this week, the UK government stepped in with a £2 billion emergency credit line for Jaguar Land Rover, which also faced production halts due to a similar cyber attack.