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Askul, a major Japanese office and household goods retailer, suffered a ransomware attack that severely disrupted its e-commerce and logistics operations. The cyberattack, discovered over a weekend, led Askul to halt all online orders, product shipments, and new user registrations across its three main e-commerce platforms: Askul (office supplies), Lohaco (household goods), and Soloel Arena (corporate clients). The company also suspended customer inquiries due to the system failures caused by the attack. Askul publicly stated that it is investigating the full extent of the incident, including the potential leak of personal and customer data, and has not yet determined when operations will resume. The impact of the attack extended beyond Askul itself, affecting several major Japanese retailers that rely on its logistics network. Muji, a prominent retailer of minimalist household goods and clothing, was forced to take its Japanese online store offline, suspending browsing, purchases, and access to order histories via its app. Muji clarified that only its Japanese online operations were affected, with physical stores and international branches remaining operational. The company is working to identify which customer shipments were impacted and plans to notify affected customers by email. Other retailers, such as Loft and Sogo & Seibu, also reported disruptions, halting online orders and some product shipments due to their reliance on Askul’s logistics systems. Askul’s customer service desk became unreachable, both by phone and online, further complicating the response for affected customers. The attack highlights the interconnectedness of Japan’s retail and logistics sectors, where a single supplier’s outage can cascade across multiple brands and services. The incident follows a series of recent ransomware and cyberattacks targeting Japanese companies, including a notable attack on Asahi, Japan’s largest brewer, earlier in the month. Askul is owned by Yahoo! Japan Corporation and plays a significant role in both business-to-business and business-to-consumer logistics in the country. The company has not disclosed the specific ransomware group responsible, nor the method of initial compromise. Restoration efforts are ongoing, but no timeline for full recovery has been provided. The disruption underscores the vulnerability of supply chain and logistics providers to ransomware attacks and the broad operational impact such incidents can have on dependent businesses. Both Askul and its partners are working to restore services, but the resumption date remains undetermined. The incident has prompted increased scrutiny of cybersecurity practices within Japan’s retail and logistics sectors.
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Muji halted online sales after the ransomware attack on its logistics partner Askul disrupted fulfillment and related supply-chain operations. Reports described the impact as stemming from the supplier's compromised systems rather than a direct attack on Muji itself.
Following the ransomware incident, Askul suspended online order intake and shipment operations while responding to the disruption. The outage was significant enough to interrupt normal retail and logistics activity.
Japanese retailer and logistics provider Askul was hit by a ransomware attack that disrupted systems tied to order processing and shipping operations. The incident affected Askul's own e-commerce and fulfillment functions and had downstream impact on customers relying on its logistics services.
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Japanese e-commerce company Askul Corporation suffered a ransomware attack attributed to the RansomHouse group, resulting in the theft of approximately 740,000 customer, business partner, and employee records. The breach, discovered in October, led to significant IT system failures, disrupting shipments to customers including major retailers. Askul confirmed that the attackers exploited compromised credentials for an outsourced partner’s administrator account, which lacked multi-factor authentication, to gain initial access. The company has notified affected individuals and Japan’s Personal Information Protection Commission, and is implementing long-term monitoring to prevent misuse of the stolen data. The stolen data includes around 590,000 records from business customers, 132,000 from individual customers, 15,000 from business partners, and 2,700 from executives and employees. Askul stated that no credit card information was confirmed to be leaked and that no ransom was paid. The RansomHouse group publicly claimed responsibility, adding Askul to its leak site and releasing data in multiple stages. As of mid-December, Askul’s order shipping operations remain impacted while system restoration efforts continue.
Jun 29, 2026
Japanese companies, including major manufacturers and retailers such as Asahi Holdings and Askul, have experienced prolonged operational disruptions following ransomware attacks. Asahi Holdings continues to face back-office issues and has acknowledged a potential data breach affecting 1.9 million individuals, while Askul only recently resumed partial operations after more than six weeks of downtime, with ongoing shipment delays. These incidents highlight the extended recovery periods for Japanese firms, especially when ransoms are not paid, and the broader impact on supply chains, as seen with Muji's halted sales due to Askul's outage. Globally, the manufacturing sector has shown some improvement in defending against ransomware, with only 40% of attacks resulting in data encryption compared to 74% the previous year. However, data theft remains a significant risk, with 39% of affected manufacturers suffering data loss, and more than half still paying ransoms despite better defenses. The sector continues to face challenges such as skilled labor shortages, unknown vulnerabilities, and increased stress on IT and security teams, with nearly half reporting heightened pressure and a notable proportion experiencing leadership changes after attacks.
Jun 29, 2026
Asahi Group Holdings, a major Japanese brewery, suffered a significant cyberattack at the end of September, which has now been attributed to the Qilin ransomware group. The attack initially caused widespread system failures, forcing Asahi to shut down its ordering, shipping, and call center operations across Japan. Early statements from the company assured stakeholders that customer and employee data remained secure, but subsequent investigations revealed traces of unauthorized data transfers. Asahi has since acknowledged the possibility that personal information may have been compromised during the incident. The Qilin ransomware group has claimed responsibility for the attack, boasting of exfiltrating approximately 27 GB of sensitive files. These files reportedly include financial records, contracts, employee details, forecasts, and other confidential documents. Samples of the stolen data, reviewed by journalists, appear to confirm the theft of personal information, such as employee ID cards and personal documents. The breach has had a tangible impact on Asahi's domestic logistics, resulting in delayed shipments and looming stock shortages throughout Japan. Production at all breweries has resumed, but IT systems remain impaired, forcing staff to revert to manual processes like pen, paper, and fax machines for order processing. The company has postponed its quarterly financial results announcement due to the ongoing disruption and uncertainty surrounding the full extent of the breach. Asahi is actively investigating the scope of the data compromise and has committed to notifying affected individuals and complying with relevant data protection laws. The incident has raised concerns about the security of corporate and personal data within large manufacturing organizations. The attack highlights the operational risks posed by ransomware groups targeting critical business infrastructure. Asahi's response includes efforts to restore systems and mitigate further damage, though a timeline for full recovery has not been provided. The company has publicly stated its commitment to transparency and regulatory compliance as the investigation continues. The Qilin group’s public disclosure of stolen data samples has intensified scrutiny and pressure on Asahi to address the breach. The incident underscores the growing threat of ransomware to global supply chains and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures in the manufacturing sector. Asahi’s experience serves as a cautionary tale for other organizations regarding the potential consequences of cyberattacks on both business operations and data privacy.
Jul 12, 2026