A UK-based transportation company, Knights of Old (KNP), with a 158-year history, has collapsed following a devastating ransomware attack attributed to the Akira hacking group. Around 700 employees lost their jobs, and 500 trucks were taken off the road. The attack resulted in full encryption and the loss of operational data across KNP’s servers, backups, and endpoints. A ransom demand, possibly as high as £5 million, far exceeded the company’s ability to pay, pushing it into shutdown despite having cyber insurance and crisis response support.

The attack was described as a "worst-case scenario", with all infrastructure rendered unusable. Despite efforts by cyber insurance provider Solace Global, KNP’s entire data environment - production systems, backups, and disaster recovery - was destroyed. This breach highlights the growing threat of ransomware, which the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) now views as a serious national concern. Experts are calling for stronger cybersecurity practices, mandatory incident reporting, and regular third-party cyber audits as preventative measures.

This incident underscores the urgent need for end-to-end cybersecurity with complete data capture and zero data loss. Organizations must ensure total visibility into their networks - using full packet capture, continuous monitoring, and layered defenses - to detect and respond to threats before damage is done. In today’s threat landscape, this is no longer optional. Cybersecurity is now an existential issue: whether you're a multinational enterprise or a regional firm, lacking proper defenses can mean the total collapse of your business in a single breach. Read more about this story on our LinkedIn page