A weak password reportedly allowed a ransomware gang to destroyKNP, a158-year-old company in Northamptonshire, resulting in700 job losses.

• The company was unable to retrieve its data after hackers demanded a ransom estimated at£5 million.
• Paul Abbott, director of KNP, has refrained from informing the employee whose password was compromised.
• The attack highlights the increasing threat of ransomware, with approximately19,000 attacks reported in the UK last year.