Cyberattack ended KNP transport company after 158 years of success

One mistake can ruin years of work. The legendary transport company KNP was the victim of a cyber attack that shut it down after 158 years of operation and threw hundreds of people out on the street.

KNP – transport leader with a long history

The weak password allowed the ransomware gang to destroy a 158-year-old company

Read more: https://cybersecuritynews.com/weak-password-destroy-158-year-old-company/

One broken password led to the collapse of KNP Logistics, depriving 730 employees and highlighting the devastating impact of cyber attacks on British companies.

It is believed that one slogan was enough to destroy a 158-year-old company and deprive 700 people of their jobs.

After hacking Akira's gang, he installed ransomware software that encrypted the company's key data and blocked its internal systems, demanding a ransom of about £5 million.

KNP Logistics, also known as Knights of Old, has been a symbol of British trucking for decades. The company employed around 700 employees and operated a fleet of 500 trucks, providing services to many large customers.

Heritage and market relevance

• KNP has been the guarantor of high quality logistics services for years.
• It supported local communities through employment and social activities.
• Its sudden closure shook the entire industry.

The source of the tragedy: ransomware attack

Ransomware is a different kind of malwarewhich blocks access to data or computer system and then demands ransom for unlocking or decrypting it.

The cause of the bankruptcy was a group of hackers. Akirawho got into the company's systems, guessing weak password of one of the employees. Within hours they encrypted key company data and issued a ransom demand, estimated even at £5 million.

The company could not afford to pay or recover data from backup. The whole activity practically stood – from logistics to customer service and fleet management. As a result, the KNP was forced to completely close for the first time in its over 150-year history.

Problem scale: ransomware as a threat of civilization

In 2025, an average number of companies in the UK become the target of similar attacks. National Cyber Security Centre data indicate that this could be the worst year in history in terms of cybercrime of this type.

Effects of ransomware attack on transport companies (2025)

Watch: Paul Abbott, a long-standing member of RHA and former director of KNP, appeared on the BBC Panorama program last night to discuss cybercrime.

In recent years, thousands of British companies have fallen victim to cyber attacks. In the case of a Northampton-based transport company, the hackers managed to access the computer system by guessing the password, then encrypted and blocked all internal systems and demanded a ransom of £ million.

This ultimately resulted in the collapse of a 158-year-old company and 700 people losing their jobs.

📺 WATCH Longtime RHA member & former KNP Director Paul Abbott appeared on BBC Panorama last night to discuss cyber crime.

Thousands of UK businesses have been hit in recent times by cyber attacks. In Northampton based haulier, KNP's case, hackers managed to gain entry to the... pic.twitter.com/QuVfk09Ijc

— RHA (@RHANews) July 22, 2025

How can you defend yourself?

The attack on KNP painfully reminds that even companies with security and cyber insurance can fly through human errors. Key conclusions:

• Regular cyber security training for employees.
• Introduction of multiple passwords and audit of passwords.
• Automatic resistance tests for phishing attacks.
• Systematic, offline data backups.

Remember that no IT system will replace the awareness and responsibility of every network user.