How a simple password brought down a 158-year-old UK company
What's the story
KNP Logistics, a 158-year-old UK transport company, has shut down after a major ransomware attack. The incident has left around 700 employees without jobs. The hackers gained access to KNP's systems by simply guessing an employee's password, encrypting the sensitive company data, and crippling internal operations. Despite having standard cybersecurity measures in place, including cyberattack insurance, KNP was unable to withstand the attack from the notorious Akira ransomware gang.
Ransom note
KNP unable to meet ransom demand
The Akira gang locked down KNP's systems and demanded a ransom in exchange for restoring access. The group's ransom note read, "If you're reading this, it means the internal infrastructure of your company is fully or partially dead." Experts estimate the ransom demand could have been as high as £5 million. However, unable to meet the demand, KNP suffered total data loss and was forced to shut down.
Growing threat
Incident highlights UK's growing cybercrime threat
The KNP incident highlights the growing threat of cybercrime in the UK. High-profile British companies such as M&S, Harrods, and Co-op have also been targeted by cyberattacks. In Co-op's case, hackers stole data from 6.5 million members. Richard Horne, CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has stressed that businesses need to strengthen their digital defenses against such attacks.
Prevention
NCSC on ransomware attacks
The NCSC plays a key role in preventing cyberattacks in the UK by using intelligence sources to identify possible threats and intervene before ransomware is deployed. Sam (not real name), a member of the NCSC incident response team, said hackers look for organizations with weak defenses to exploit them. Suzanne Grimmer, Senior Manager at the National Crime Agency (NCA), also claimed that ransomware attacks have nearly doubled to around 35-40 cases a week in just two years.