One mistake can undo years of work. Legendary transport firm KNP fell victim to a cyberattack that shut it down after 158 years and left hundreds of people without jobs.
KNP – a transport leader with a long history
A weak password allowed a ransomware gang to destroy a 158-year-old company
Read more: https://cybersecuritynews.com/weak-password-destroy-158-year-old-company/
A single cracked password led to the collapse of KNP Logistics, costing 730 employees their jobs and highlighting the devastating impact of cyberattacks on British businesses.
It is believed that one password was enough for a ransomware gang to destroy the 158-year-old company and leave 700 people without work.
After the break-in, the Akira gang installed ransomware that encrypted the company’s key data and blocked its internal systems, demanding a ransom of around 5 million pounds.
KNP Logistics, also known as Knights of Old, for decades was a symbol of British road haulage. The company employed about 700 people and operated a fleet of 500 trucks, serving many major clients.
Legacy and significance for the market
- For years, KNP was a guarantee of high-quality logistics services.
- It supported local communities through employment and social initiatives.
- Its sudden closure shook the entire industry.
Source of the tragedy: a ransomware attack
Ransomware is a type of malicious software that blocks access to data or a computer system and then demands a ransom for unlocking or decrypting it.
The bankruptcy was caused by hackers from the Akira group, who gained access to the company’s systems by guessing the password of one of the employees. Within hours they encrypted the company’s key data and made a ransom demand, estimated at as much as 5 million pounds.
The company could not afford to pay, nor could it recover data from backups. Almost all operations came to a halt, from logistics to customer service and fleet management. As a result, KNP was forced to close completely for the first time in its more than 150-year history.
Scale of the problem: ransomware as a civilisational threat
In 2025, an above-average number of companies in the United Kingdom are becoming targets of similar attacks. Data from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) indicate that this may be the worst year on record for this type of cybercrime.
Effects of the ransomware attack on transport firms (2025)
Watch: Paul Abbott, a longtime member of the RHA and former KNP director, appeared on BBC Panorama last night to discuss cybercrime.
Recently, thousands of British companies have fallen victim to cyberattacks. In the case of the transport firm KNP, based in Northampton, hackers managed to gain access to the computer system by guessing the password, then encrypted and blocked all internal systems and demanded a ransom of millions of pounds.
Ultimately, this led to the collapse of the 158-year-old company and the loss of 700 jobs.
How can you defend yourself?
The attack on KNP painfully shows that even companies with security measures and cyber insurance can fall because of human error. Key takeaways:
- Regular cybersecurity training for employees.
- Introducing multi-factor authentication and password audits.
- Automated tests of resilience to phishing attacks.
- Systematic, offline data backups.
Let us remember that no IT system can replace the awareness and responsibility of every network user.
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