Ransomware Attack Sends 158-Year Old Company Out of Business

A 158-year-old transportation company collapsed under the weight of a ransomware attack initiated via a single guessed password. The demise of the company, which operated hundreds of trucks and employs roughly 700 people, delivers a sobering wake-up call to businesses everywhere.

Despite having industry-standard cybersecurity protocols and insurance in place, the company was brought to its knees by the “Akira” ransomware gang. The attackers encrypted all data and issued a ransom demand of up to £5 million, a figure the company simply could not meet. With data, backups, and disaster recovery systems fully compromised, the operation shut down, wiping out 700 jobs overnight.  

Even in the most unfortunate situations, there are always lessons to be learned. Let’s take a look at what your business can take away from this cybersecurity incident. 

What Happened

At the heart of this crisis was a remarkably unremarkable failure: a weak, easily guessed password. That single lapse granted attackers unmitigated access to the entire IT ecosystem of a respected, long‑standing business. Once inside, the attackers encrypted data across the board: systems, backups, and endpoints. This created what a cybersecurity firm described as a worst‑case scenario. Despite having cyber‑attack insurance and compliance measures, the company had no fallback, given that their backups were also compromised. Ransom demands were far beyond their capacity, leading to the total collapse of the company.

Why It Matters

History forces us to learn. A company that has stood the test of time, with 158 years under their belt, was certainly doing some things right. The power and danger of cybercrime shows how quickly it can all come crashing down when cybersecurity isn’t given its proper seat at the table.

1. Even Historic Companies Aren’t Immune

This was no startup with limited resources; it was a company embedded in its industry for nearly two centuries. Yet a simple security oversight erased its legacy overnight.

2. Cyber Insurance Isn’t a Safety Net

Cyber insurance and compliance are no substitute for a robust, multi-layered defense. If disaster recovery systems aren’t truly isolated or resilient, insurance cannot prevent system-wide destruction.

3. Weak Passwords Are Still a Common Weakness

Despite growing awareness, password hygiene continues to be one of the most exploited weaknesses. It takes only one poor credential to open the floodgates.

4. Rising Ransomware Threats Demand Proactive Defense

The Akira case is one among many. Businesses large and small face escalating ransomware threats, prompting calls for mandatory reporting, independent audits, and stricter regulations.

Lessons for Other Companies (and How We Can Help)

Forward thinking is how other companies stand the test of time (and cyber attacks). Here’s what we hope you’ll learn from this company’s unfortunate turn of events.

1. Enforce Strong Passwords and MFA Across All Access Points

Weak passwords remain low-hanging fruit for attackers. We help clients deploy systems requiring strong, unique passwords and multi-factor authentication, especially for remote or critical system access.

2. Isolate & Harden Backups

Ensure backups are immutable and air-gapped, inaccessible via the same credentials as production systems. This safeguards against encryption by ransomware if an attacker penetrates the network.

3. Layer Your Defenses

Deploy network segmentation, endpoint detection and response, and proactive threat monitoring. Our clients benefit from continuous network traffic analysis and breach simulations.

4. Cultivate Incident‑Response Readiness

Disaster can strike even the best‑prepared. Regular tabletop exercises, live incident drills, and clear communication plans help clients respond swiftly when time is critical.

5. Conduct Independent Cyber Audits

We encourage clients to engage in third-party cybersecurity audits. These are comprehensive reviews of their infrastructure, policies, and human factors. In the case of this company, defenses existed but weren’t resilient enough.

Final Thoughts

The demise of a once‑proud, century‑old company due to something as mundane as a poor password isn’t just tragic, it’s emblematic of the state of cyber resilience in 2025. 

At PK Tech, we’re laser-focused on protecting our clients before such failures occur. Network safety is never static; it must evolve with the threat landscape. Don’t wait for a hacker to guess your password to learn that lesson firsthand.

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