Knights of Old cyberattack that led to Kettering-based KNP closing down to feature in BBC Panorama programme
The catastrophic cyberattack that led to a Kettering-based haulage closing down with the lost of more than 700 jobs is to feature in BBC’s Panorama.
The programme – Fighting Cyber Criminals – highlights the rise of cyberattacks by hackers who demand huge ransoms and reveals it was just one weak password that brought down KNP – previously known as Knights of Old.
Appearing on Panorama, KNP director Paul Abbott tells how it is believed hackers managed to gain entry to the company’s IT system by guessing correctly an employee's password.
The hackers – the Akira gang – then put up security systems of their own and demanded a ransom estimated to be in the region of £5m.
KNP Logistics Group was formed in 2016 when Knights of Old was merged with Nelson Distribution Limited including Steve Porter Transport Limited and Merlin Supply Chain Solutions Limited.
Founded in Old, the company had traded for 158-years before going into administration.
The shock closure in 2023 first became obvious to staff when trucks were turned around and ordered back to base as the financial difficulties emerged.
Scources said that on Friday September 22, 2023, in the afternoon, non-office staff were called together with colleagues telling them of the closure of the headquarters in Venture Park, close to the A14.
More than 730 redundancies were announced by administrators FRP Advisory Trading Limited the following Monday (September 25).
Administrators had told another meeting of ‘manual’ staff they would not be paid on the last Friday of the month as usual and they should apply for government help.
In September 2024, at least 80 former Knights of Old staff were successful in their legal action to get back pay they were owed arguing that Knights of Old did not enter a consultation period when the haulier collapsed.
The Knights of Old complex situated within Kettering Venture Park was sold to a US investor in a £7.9m deal in May 2024.
In August 2024, the 143,818 sq. ft. KNP warehouse complex in Kettering Road Islip was sold in a ‘multi-million pound’ deal.
Watch Panorama: Fighting Cyber Criminals tonight (Monday) on BBC One at 8.30pm when reporter Richard Bilton investigates the online crimewave and meets the secret agents trying to stop the hackers, or go to BBC iPlayer.