logo
Weak password let hackers bring down 148-year-old logistics firm

Weak password let hackers bring down 148-year-old logistics firm

Metro21-07-2025
A company that had traded for more than 150 years and employed 700 people was brought down because of a weak password.
Logistics firm KNP went out of business after criminals successfully hacked into its computers by guessing an employee's password before locking the whole company out of its systems.
The firm is one of thousands affected by cyber attacks, which have also hit high street giants including Marks and Spencer, Harrods and the Co-op.
KNP director Paul Abbott said he had yet to tell the employee whose security details were compromised that the leak had led to the company's closure.
The Nottinghamshire-based company, which operated 500 Knights of Old lorries, was plunged into chaos after a crime gang known as Akira demanded a ransom after locking all staff out of the systems required to run the business.
A threatening note to the firm's bosses read: 'If you're reading this it means the internal infrastructure of your company is fully or partially dead…Let's keep all the tears and resentment to ourselves and try to build a constructive dialogue.'
Unable to pay the high sum demanded by the criminals, KNP folded up.
The government's cyber security survey found that an estimated 19,000 British companies had suffered ransom attacks in the last year, although exact figures are hard to ascertain as businesses are not required to reprot incidents or if they have paid a ransom to criminals to reclaim their data.
Earlier this year, Marks and Spencer was thrown into chaos after falling victim to cyber criminals, taking their loyalty scheme Sparks offline and halting online sales.
While KNP's cyber attackers didn't name a price for restoring their systems,ransoms typically start at millions of pounds.
The average demand to UK companies is estimated to be £4million and approximately a third pay up.
Richard Horne, CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre, said that businesses needed to improve their security amid what he called a 'wave of cyber attacks' over the last few years.
As well as cracking passwords, hackers are also using lower tech methods to gain access to systems, including blagging their way in, sometimes through IT helpdesks.
Experts also believe that the latest generation of hackers were learning their skills through gaming.
James Babbage, the Director General of Threats at the National Crime Agency (NCA) said ransomware had become a 'national security threat in its own right'.
He told BBC Panorama that companies were further fuelling the lucrative crime by paying up ransoms.
'Every victim needs to make their own choice, but it is the paying of ransoms which fuels this crime', he said.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: Bowling coach, 33, sent disturbing texts to teen, 17, before shooting her and himself dead
MORE: Gang lures celebrity barber to London with honey trap to steal £500,000 in crypto
MORE: Man guilty of murdering couple before dumping remains near Clifton Suspension Bridge
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Predator pastor who sexually assaulted woman while pretending to ‘exorcise demons' jailed for 10 years
Predator pastor who sexually assaulted woman while pretending to ‘exorcise demons' jailed for 10 years

Scottish Sun

time17 minutes ago

  • Scottish Sun

Predator pastor who sexually assaulted woman while pretending to ‘exorcise demons' jailed for 10 years

The court heard that he had used his front as a preacher to 'callously exploit' his victims 'PROPHET' CAGED Predator pastor who sexually assaulted woman while pretending to 'exorcise demons' jailed for 10 years Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A PREDATOR preacher who sexually assaulted a woman while pretending to 'exorcise demons' has been caged for 10 years. Cult leader Walter Masocha, 61 - called 'The Prophet' by parishioners - was also jailed for a rape bid during a six year reign of sexual terror between 2006 and 2012. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Walter Masocha, 61, was caged for ten years at Livingston High Court 2 The predator preacher sexually assaulted a woman while pretending to 'exorcise demons' The "archbishop" of Stirling-based Agape for All Nations Church told a woman, 58, that God had "given her to him as a gift" and ordered her to kiss his "holy lips". At the High Court in Livingston, judge Susan Craig told Masocha, who watched on via video link from jail, that he had used his front as a preacher to 'callously exploit' his victims. She said: "You are nothing more than an opportunist sexual predator and are guilty of the grossest breach of trust. "The common denominator was the victims worshipped you, a 'prophet' who could work miracles. "You took sexual advantage whenever you felt like doing so." He was jailed for 10 years, given a further four-year extended sentence and placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely. A 39-year-old witness said she was 20 when Masocha began sexually abusing her. She told the jury: "He would tell me, 'God said I need to look after you and has given me special love for you in particular'." She said the fiend sexually assaulted her in his home in Bridge of Allan, near Stirling. He also tried to rape her after taking her into his bedroom. Why I married a sexual predator and I want babies with him The Zimbabwean founded his church in 2007. He lived a jetset life visiting ministries across the UK, US, Canada and Africa. He was convicted in 2015 of a sex assault on a woman and sexual activity with a girl of 15. The conviction was later quashed on appeal. Agape's church was also linked to the horrific killing of five-year-old Scott Chirashi in Alva, Clacks in 2014. His mother Farai Chirashi, who had been shunned by the church, stabbed the schoolboy to death and cut his heart out but was found not guilty of murder at the High Court in Glasgow by reason of insanity. When she killed her son, she thought she was on a "mission from God". One ex-church member claimed that Chiriseri was "demonised" by the preacher when she left his church.

Trainers' chief backs radical alternative to government's gambling tax plan
Trainers' chief backs radical alternative to government's gambling tax plan

The Guardian

time17 minutes ago

  • The Guardian

Trainers' chief backs radical alternative to government's gambling tax plan

A radical alternative to Treasury plans to 'harmonise' the rate of tax paid on online sports betting and high-risk casino gaming products received support from one of racing's key stakeholder groups on Monday when Paul Johnson, the chief executive of the National Trainers' Federation, said proposals from the Social Market Foundation thinktank, which will be published on Tuesday, 'have the full backing of the NTF'. The Social Market Foundation report – titled The Duty to Differentiate: How gambling tax reform can raise revenue for the government, reduce harm to the public and save British horse racing – was written by Dr James Noyes, a senior fellow at the SMF, with a foreword by Alex Ballinger MP, a member of the all-party parliamentary group for Gambling Reform. In a sharp contrast to the Treasury's proposal for a unified rate of duty, Noyes argues that online gaming, on slots and other fixed-margin casino products such as roulette, is 'under-taxed' at its current rate of 21% of gross profits, pointing out that 'in some European jurisdictions, tax on remote casino is closer to 40%, and in some US states it is over 50%'. The report suggests that the tax rate on gaming products should be raised to as high as 50%, while in one chapter Noyes also proposes changes to the regime around betting tax and the Levy system, which returns money to racing from off-course betting. Online operators at present pay an additional 10% of their gross profits on racing turnover in Levy, which represents, as Noyes points out, 'a de facto horse-racing betting duty of 25%' when combined with the current 15% charge for betting duty. He suggests a change to the ratio of duty to Levy, combined with an extension of the Levy to bets on overseas racing, would improve significantly the proportion of overall betting turnover that is returned to the sport. The SMF report notes that Martin Cruddace, the chief executive of the major racecourse group Arena Racing Company, recently proposed an inversion of the rates charged for Levy and betting duty, but suggests that this 'does not go far enough' to address 'systemic underfunding'. It proposes that a reduction to 5% of gross profits for racing bets alone, alongside an increase to 20% for the Levy, 'would ensure fiscal neutrality for the betting industry, while fundamentally reorienting the distribution of revenue in favour of the sport'. Johnson was among several representatives of racing's key stakeholder groups who met Noyes last week to discuss the SMF proposals, and said on Monday that the report is 'a sensible and informed piece of work that could be a route for the government to resolve the issues that have beset the sport in recent years and which are affecting our ability to compete with other jurisdictions'. He added: 'Whilst our immediate priority has been to ensure that the Treasury does not inflict a significant blow on racing via tax harmonisation, we are aware that success here does not resolve the challenges faced by the sport at present, or undo some of the damage inflicted in recent years. 'The SMF proposes a tax solution that is mindful of the very different social and economic aspects of different types of gambling, and which seeks to support a sport that means a great deal to the British public.' In his foreword to the SMF report, Ballinger, the Labour member for Halesowen, said that 'as the Treasury considers changes [to the tax regime around gambling], it is vital that they reflect the real impact of gambling on people's lives', and describes its 'practical' proposals as 'smart, fair ideas that deserve serious attention'. Ballinger said: 'The evidence is clear: some gambling products – like online slots – cause far more harm than others', adding: 'These harms carry huge costs, from personal debt and family breakdown to rising pressure on public services. Our tax system should reflect this.' The British Horseracing Authority released research on Monday which suggests that tax harmonisation at a rate of 21% could lead to an industry-wide revenue loss of 'at least £330m in the first five years' and put '2,752 jobs at risk in the first year alone'. The BHA has also launched an online petition which calls on the government to 'rethink' its plans on gambling taxation. The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), the main body representing the gambling industry in the UK, said on Monday that arguments for a hike in gaming taxes were 'naive'. 'Some naively argue that tax increases should target gaming while sparing sports betting or carving out horse racing,' a BGC spokesperson said. 'But the reality is our members don't ringfence products in that way, these are integrated businesses. Any tax rise, whether on betting or gaming, affects the whole operation. That means less money available for sponsorship, media rights and support for sports like racing, which is especially vulnerable to changes in the customer offer.' The Goodwood Cup is the feature event on the opening afternoon of Glorious Goodwood on Tuesday, when the locally trained Sunway (3.05) could prove to be a decent each-way alternative to Aidan O'Brien's Illinois, the runner-up in last year's St Leger, in the two-mile Group One contest. Illinois has progressed steadily since his near-miss in the Doncaster Classic and put up a career-best to finish a seven-length runner-up behind Trawlerman in the Gold Cup at Ascot last time. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion He is also Ryan Moore's pick for Tuesday's race ahead of his three-year-old stable companion, Scandinavia, but he looked a little ill-at-ease on the undulations at Chester in May and does not have as much to spare on ratings as an early price of around 6-4 might suggest. Scandinavia, meanwhile, will be making his third start at a staying trip in the space of six weeks, and at around 14-1, Sunway makes plenty of appeal to spring a surprise. Goodwood 1.20 Tony Montana (nap) 1.55 Zavateri 2.30 Kinross 3.05 Sunway 3.45 Dream Composer (nb) 4.20 Naval Light 4.55 Dash Of Azure 5.30 Cinque Verde Beverley 2.10 Blue Yonder 2.45 Rosso Levanto 3.20 Jeddaal 4.00 Haberdash 4.35 Believe In Glory 5.10 Catch Cunningham 5.47 Mayberry Moon Ffos Las 5.42 Neptune Legend 6.15 Shetakesthegold 6.50 Sundiata Keita 7.25 Zilfee 8.00 Fifty Sent 8.30 Zooks Ripon 6.00 Al Shaham 6.30 A'Ali G 7.05 Silver Chamber 7.40 Canaria Queen 8.10 Ferrari Gold 8.40 Homeland David Menuisier's colt has not raced beyond 12 furlongs since finishing just a length and a half behind Illinois in the St Leger, and remains unexposed at staying trips. He was also less than a length behind Los Angeles in last year's Irish Derby during a run of five straight starts at Group One level, and a sharp two miles around Goodwood could be the ideal track and trip for Sunway to register a first success at the highest level since his juvenile campaign. Goodwood 1.20: Tony Montana did not appreciate the drop back to a mile for the Royal Hunt Cup last month and is better judged on his two-length second behind an unexposed rival over track and trip in May. That was his first start for eight months and he is just 4lb higher now, while a draw in stall six is also in his favour. Goodwood 1.55: Eve Johnson Houghton's unbeaten Zavateri was an 18-1 shot for the July Stakes last time but his one-length win was backed up by a decent time. The market may be underestimating him again at around 7-1 to defy a 3lb penalty. Goodwood 2.30: The veteran Kinross has form figures of 1-2-1-3 in the last four renewals of this race and looked as good as ever when finishing a close second in a Group Three at Haydock last time. Goodwood 3.45: The eye-catcher at the likely prices is Dream Composer at around 20-1. Last year's Dash winner at Epsom rarely runs a bad race over this course and distance and is back down to his last winning mark.

Trump speaks of ‘great love' for Scotland and labels Starmer a ‘tax cutter'
Trump speaks of ‘great love' for Scotland and labels Starmer a ‘tax cutter'

South Wales Guardian

timean hour ago

  • South Wales Guardian

Trump speaks of ‘great love' for Scotland and labels Starmer a ‘tax cutter'

Mr Trump spoke of his 'great love' for Scotland and said he wanted to see the nation 'thrive' ahead of his discussions with the Prime Minister that were expected to focus on Gaza and trade. The American leader attacked Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan as a 'nasty person' and hailed both Sir Keir and Nigel Farage as 'great men' as the leaders took a series of questions across domestic and foreign affairs. The president also indicated that the US may not impose heavy tariffs on British pharmaceuticals, telling reporters that 'we certainly feel a lot better' about the UK working on drugs that will be sold in the States compared to other nations. Mr Trump and Sir Keir took questions for more than an hour in a meandering press conference ahead of their meeting at Turnberry on Tuesday afternoon. Referring to the Prime Minister and the Reform UK leader, the US president said: 'I happen to like both men. I like this man (Sir Keir) a lot, and I like Nigel. 'And, you know, I don't know the politics over here. I don't know where they stand. I would say one is slightly liberal – not that liberal, slightly – and the other one is slightly conservative, but they're they're both good men.' He added: '(Sir Keir) did a great thing with the economy, because a lot of money is going to come in because of the deal that was made. But I think that, I think that immigration is now bigger than ever before.' The president had earlier said that he thinks Sir Keir, who has been in office for more than a year, will be 'a tax cutter.' The two leaders were expected to discuss trade as part of their meeting, weeks after Mr Trump unveiled a new tariff regime for goods entering the US from other nations. Asked by reporters whether his plans for an import levy on medicines would affect the UK, the US president told reporters: 'We will be announcing on pharmaceuticals some time in the very near future. We have a very big plan on pharmaceuticals. 'We want to bring a lot of the pharmaceuticals back to America, where they should be.' He later added: 'You also have a good pharmaceutical business – we'll be dealing with you on pharmaceuticals also – and we certainly feel a lot better with your country working on pharmaceuticals for America than some of the other countries that were … with the relationship we have, you would not use that as a cudgel. You wouldn't be using it as a block.' During the same press conference, Mr Trump described the Labour London mayor Sir Sadiq as a 'nasty person' who has done 'a terrible job', while Sir Keir jumped to his defence. Speaking to reporters, the US president said: 'I'm not a fan of your mayor. I think he's done a terrible job, the Mayor of London … a nasty person.' The Prime Minister intervened to say: 'He's a friend of mine, actually.' The question session inside the President's Turnberry resort came after he suggested that the UK is 'doing a fantastic thing' in trying to reduce immigration via small boat crossings. Mr Trump said he knows 'nothing about the boats' when asked about the issue but said 'my hats are off to you' if the UK is trying to reduce immigration. Sir Keir and his wife Lady Starmer were greeted by the President and a chorus of bagpipes as they arrived in South Ayrshire on Monday. When Mr Trump was asked about how he would deal with small boats, Sir Keir explained that it refers to people who are crossing the Channel. Mr Trump told reporters: 'If you're stopping immigration and stopping the wrong people … my hats are off to you. You're doing, not a good thing, you're doing a fantastic thing. 'So, I know nothing about the boats, but if the boats are loaded up with bad people, and they usually are, because, you know, other countries don't send their best, they send people that they don't want, and they're not stupid people, and they send the people that they don't want.' Turning to the Prime Minister, Mr Trump added: 'And I've heard that you've taken a much stronger stance on this.' The latest data from the Home Office indicates that 122 people crossed the Channel in small boats on Saturday. Asked about tariffs on whisky, Mr Trump said: 'We'll talk about that, I didn't know whisky was a problem. I'm not a big whisky drinker but maybe I should be.' And he said of the special relationship: 'Our relationship is unparalleled.' The meeting between the leaders comes as part of Mr Trump's five-day, private trip to Scotland. No 10 said they reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and agreed to continue talks on the UK-US trade deal during their private talks at Turnberry. They also discussed plans for the president's upcoming state visit in September, a Downing Street spokesperson said.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store