Askul Resumes System-Based Shipments after Cyberattack

Tokyo, Dec. 17 (Jiji Press)–Japanese office and household goods supplier Askul Corp. resumed Wednesday shipping operations using its logistics system after a two-month hiatus caused by a cyberattack. For the time being, shipments will be made from the company’s two logistics centers in Tokyo and neighboring Saitama Prefecture. Operations at eight other distribution hubs will be restarted gradually, the company said. “I sincerely apologize for the trouble and concern caused to many customers,” Askul President Akira Yoshioka told reporters at the logistics center in the capital’s Edogawa Ward. “I’m determined to fulfill my mission by carrying out a full-fledged security governance reform.” Following the system outage due to the ransomware attack on Oct. 19, Askul suspended its online services and accepted orders for only limited kinds of products by fax. As the system recovery progresses, however, orders can be accepted for more high-demand products such as copier paper. But Yoshioka stopped short of predicting when the system-based operations will be fully restored, only saying his company will reopen the remaining hubs in steps while making safety assessments. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]