Information Security awareness blog

In the world of cybersecurity, we often say, “You're only as strong as your weakest link.” For KNP, a 158-year-old printing and logistics company in the UK, that weakest link was a single password—and it cost them everything.

KNP fell victim to a ransomware attack that exploited a weak employee password. Once inside, cybercriminals encrypted the company’s systems and demanded a ransom. The attack was so severe that KNP couldn’t recover. The result? 700 employees lost their jobs, and a historic company was forced to shut its doors.

The most chilling part? The employee whose password was compromised still doesn’t know it was theirs. As one of the directors put it:

“Would you want to know if it was you?”

This wasn’t a sophisticated zero-day exploit or a nation-state attack. It was a basic password vulnerability—something every organisation can and should defend against.

1. Passwords are not enough
   Weak or reused passwords are a hacker’s best friend. Ensure you use strong password and password managers to help manage your password more securely.
2. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
   Even if a password is compromised, MFA can stop attackers in their tracks. Never share them with anyone else.
3. Completion of Training
   Everyone constitutes a first line of defence. We are as strong as our weakest link. Undertaking regular bite size security awareness training can help us recognise risks and adopt safer behaviours.
4. Have a recovery plan and let us know when you think something is wrong
   Backups, incident response plans, regular drills and informing IDG or your school IT, can mean the difference between recovery and collapse.

The KNP story is a tragic reminder that cybersecurity is not just an IT issue—it’s a business survival issue. One weak password can bring down an entire company. Don’t let ours be next.

For more details on this real world example, see BBCLink opens in a new window