Brewer hit by cyber attack as pubs reopen
Beer supplies to pubs and restaurants have been dealt a blow just as they look to reopen after Australia’s largest brewer, which produces beer brands including XXXX Gold, Tooheys, Hahn, James Boag and Little Creatures, was shut down by a cyber attack.
Lion said the outage was caused by ransomware, which froze the brewers computer systems while demanding a payment.
"We immediately shut down all our systems as a precaution, and we have continued to work with cyber experts to determine how much longer our systems will be impacted," Lion said.
"This attack could not have come at a worse time for Lion, particularly for our valued pub and club customers who are in the very early stages of recovery following the COVID-19 closures.
"We're working to bring our breweries back online as soon as possible. In the meantime, we will be managing our stock levels very closely and may see some temporary shortages."
Pubs and restaurants across Australia have been slowly reopening with venue caps expected to be removed in July as states and territories enter stage 3 of the restriction wind down.
Sheridan Randall, 15th June 2020
