Belgian beer brewing company Duvel Moortgat was targeted by robbers, resulting in a halt in beer production at its factories. The well-known brand produces the popular Duvel beer, Payl El, and other varieties like abbot beer.
According to a report from local media, the attack occurred on the night of March 5, triggering the shutdown of production. The company is uncertain when production will resume but is hopeful for a quick restart, possibly within the coming days.
Despite the lack of a definite timeline for production to resume, Duvel Moortgat assured the public that product distribution would not be affected as there is an ample supply of beer in warehouses.
On Reddit, beer enthusiasts joked about the incident, referring to it as a “national disaster” and questioning the availability of reserves. However, some expressed concern over potential price hikes for Duvel beer varieties if production restoration is delayed.
Currently, no extortion groups have claimed responsibility for the attack on Duvel. It remains unclear if only the main Duvel plant in Breendok, Belgium, was affected by the cyber attack or if other production facilities in Antwerp, Oudenaard, and Ashuff were also impacted.
There is uncertainty regarding whether the attack compromised any confidential company data. While cyber attacks often target data theft for ransom, the primary consequence in this situation for Duvel Moortgat was the temporary cessation of production operations.