Beyond the Front Door: Why Businesses Must Rethink Cybersecurity

One compromised password. That's all it took to destroy KNP, a 158-year-old transport company, putting 700 people out of work. The recent BBC Panorama investigation into this devastating ransomware attack serves as a stark reminder that cyber threats don't discriminate by company size and sometimes, following "best practices" simply isn't enough.

The Rising Threat of Ransomware to UK Businesses

The reality is sobering: an estimated 19,000 ransomware attacks hit UK businesses last year, with typical ransom demands averaging £4 million. These figures represent more than financial loss; they threaten the very survival of businesses that form the backbone of our economy.

KNP fell victim to a ransomware attack through a vulnerable password, demonstrating the evolving tactics cybercriminals use to bypass perimeter defences.

The Challenge: It's Not About the Front Door

Here's what businesses often get wrong about cybersecurity. They invest heavily in perimeter security, including firewalls, antivirus software, and network monitoring, essentially fortifying the "front door." These technologies are excellent and necessary, but cyber criminals have adapted. Attackers now exploit vulnerabilities in human behaviour, weak passwords, unpatched devices, and misconfigured systems, essentially, the “back doors” of your business.

The KNP case exemplifies this perfectly. The company had industry-standard IT security and cyber insurance, yet hackers gained access through something as simple as a guessed password. Once inside, they had free rein to encrypt critical business data and demand a £5 million ransom that the company couldn't afford.

The Human Factor: The Biggest Cybersecurity Risk and Opportunity

As Richard Horne, CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), points out, attackers are "constantly finding organisations on a bad day and then taking advantage of them." Often, a bad day starts with a human mistake, clicking a malicious link, using weak passwords, or falling victim to social engineering tactics.

The good news? Your people can also be your strongest defence.

Building a Human Firewall to Prevent Cyberattacks

Empowering your workforce is key to strengthening your cybersecurity posture. Many of the improvements below are simple yet incredibly effective best practices:

• Run regular phishing simulations: not to catch people out, but to raise awareness and uncover training gaps before real threats strike.
• Implement just-in-time training: ditch the forgettable annual courses. Instead, deliver short, scenario-based lessons when risky behaviour is detected. It’s timely, relevant, and far more effective.
• Empower self-service security: let users manage their own multi-factor authentication (MFA). This lightens the load on IT and encourages personal responsibility for security.
• Foster a security-first culture: encourage a workplace where reporting suspicious emails or activity is recognised and rewarded. Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility.

Cost-Effective Cybersecurity Technologies for Businesses

While your people are your greatest asset in cybersecurity, technology remains a vital line of defence. It’s not just about which tools you choose, it’s about how effectively you implement them to maximise security without overspending.

Protecting your business with the right technology doesn’t have to break the bank. By focusing on scalable, high-impact solutions implemented as an effective ecosystem, you can achieve robust cybersecurity that aligns with your budget and scales with your evolving needs:

• DNS-layer filtering to block malicious domains before they reach your network.
• Device health checks ensure only secure updated operating systems with antivirus and encryption are allowed to log in.
• Adaptive authentication that adjusts security requirements based on user role, location, and time of day, maintaining strong security without unnecessary friction.
• Automated threat intelligence to stay ahead of cyber threats without manual intervention.
• Remote browser isolation for safe web browsing in high-risk environments.

The Reality Check: Perfect Cybersecurity Doesn't Exist

Let's be honest, even with these measures in place, no system is completely secure. The goal isn't perfection; it's about making your business a harder target than the next one. Cyber criminals, like any criminals, often choose the path of least resistance.

As the NCSC's "Sam" explains, attackers are "just constantly finding organisations on a bad day." Your job is to have fewer bad days and recover more quickly when they occur.

Practical Cybersecurity Steps to Protect Your Business

The cyber threat landscape is constantly evolving, but effective protection doesn’t require an unlimited budget. Instead, focus on the fundamentals:

• Continuously educate your people to recognise and respond to threats.
• Implement proportionate, scalable technical controls that align with your business size and risk profile.
• Foster a culture of ongoing security awareness where everyone feels responsible for protecting the organisation.
• Treat cybersecurity as a continuous journey, not a one-time project, with regular reviews and improvements.

The collapse of KNP is a stark warning, but it shouldn’t paralyse your business. Use it as motivation to take practical, achievable steps that balance limited resources with critical protection needs.

Remember, in cybersecurity, you don’t have to outrun the bear: you just have to outrun the person next to you. Don’t let your business be the easy target that attackers are looking for.

Forfusion’s Smart, Scalable Approach to Cyber Protection

At Forfusion, we understand the unique challenges that businesses face in today's threat landscape. Our approach focuses on practical, cost-effective solutions that provide enterprise-level protection without the complexity. To strengthen your cybersecurity posture, talk to our team today.