Asahi Group Hit by Qilin Ransomware, Operations Disrupted
Japanese beverage and food giant Asahi Group has fallen victim to a ransomware attack, with the Russian-based Qilin gang claiming responsibility. The incident has caused significant disruption to the company's operations and resulted in the theft of sensitive data.
Qilin, a prolific ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operation, has targeted several Japanese companies this year. Besides Asahi, it has hit Shinko Plastics, Nissan Creative Box, and Osaki Medical. The group operates by providing malware and infrastructure to affiliates, who pay a share of their ransom profits in return.
The attack on Asahi, which owns global brands like Asahi, Peroni, and Grolsch, has led to the suspension of order and shipment operations and customer service desks. Qilin claims to have stolen 27 GB of data, including personal employee details and business information. Asahi has confirmed the attack but has not responded to Qilin's claims.
Asahi Group is working to resume operations, implementing manual processes for orders and shipments. Qilin, which accounted for 16% of all ransomware attacks in August 2025 and was the most prolific actor in Q3 2025, continues its widespread criminal activity. Asahi has not commented on the data theft or Qilin's demands.
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