Photo/Illutration Akira Yoshioka, president of Askul Corp., responds to reporters in Tokyo’s Edogawa Ward on Dec. 17. (Kohei Higashitani)

Office supply giant Askul Corp. resumed shipping orders on Dec. 17, using a system built in response to a crippling ransomeware attack.

In October, Askul suspended taking orders on its “Askul” business-to-business platform and its “Lohaco” consumer website after a breach led to servers being encrypted.

“We sincerely apologize for the significant inconvenience and concern caused to our customers and business partners,” Akira Yoshioka, the company’s president, said on Dec. 17, in his first comments to reporters since the attack.

“We will implement a fundamental reform of security governance,” Yoshioka added.

On Oct. 19, the company reported discovering a virus in its computer system. This led to a data leak affecting about 740,000 customers and business partners.

The cyberattack also encrypted the company’s servers, which made it impossible to process orders and shipments. With its logistics system crippled, Askul resorted to accepting some orders by fax.

Askul’s sales from Oct. 21 to Nov. 20 were down by 95 percent compared with the same period last year.

Two of the company’s 10 logistics centers have now resumed shipping orders.

The remaining centers will gradually return to full operation, but the company has not announced a clear timeline for this.

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