Japanese e-tailer Askul is facing serious challenges after a ransomware attack that began on October 19, leaving the company unable to accept orders or ship products for 45 days. While it has partially resumed online sales, only B2B services are operational, and these come with longer delivery times compared to pre-attack standards. The company’s consumer brands remain offline, which impacts businesses relying on Askul's logistics, such as Muji. The attack resulted in a significant data breach, with customer names and contact details leaked online. Askul has acknowledged the breach, established a communication channel through a cloudy email service, and started a fax ordering service for limited products targeted at specific customers. Despite these efforts, the company is still grappling with the fallout and has postponed its quarterly results announcement, citing the need for more time to assess the extent of the damage. As of December 3, Askul announced that it had restored its Warehouse Management System with enhanced security but did not provide a timeline for the full recovery of its online sales. The incident has drawn parallels to a previous ransomware attack on British retailer Marks & Spencer, which cost £136 million in damages. Askul's situation may be even worse, as its outage has lasted longer, indicating a hefty financial burden ahead.