As group director of KNP Logistics, Paul Abbott experienced personally how a ransomware attack can cripple operations and force a business into administration.

More than 700 employees lost their jobs after the 158-year-old Northamptonshire transport company – familiar on UK roads under the brand name Knights of Old – was targeted in June 2023.

Now an expert speaker, Paul’s experience puts him in a powerful position to help organisations better protect themselves against future cyber attacks.

He will provide the keynote address at the inaugural East Midlands Cyber Summit at De Montfort University in February. A few funded places for SMEs remain available.

Paul brings a personal experience and insights into not just the technical impact of an attack, but also the commercial, operational and human consequences when a business cannot recover.

That experience now underpins the work he does with boards and leadership teams. Paul helps senior decision‑makers recognise how quickly cyber risk can become an existential threat, what questions they should be asking of their IT and security partners, and which practical controls make the biggest difference in the real world. 

Drawing on his own story, he supports organisations to strengthen their defences, stress‑test their resilience plans, and design clear, actionable guides so they can survive – and continue trading – if the worst happens.

Speaking to small business delegates at the East Midlands Cyber Summit 2026, Paul will share hard‑won lessons that every SME and mid‑market business can apply: 

• how attackers get into business systems
• what fails under pressure
• what leaders can do now to avoid falling victim.

Paul’s perspective is particularly valuable for boards that still see cyber as a technical issue rather than a core business risk. This is despite warnings in the Government’s recently-published Cyber Action Plan and other documents that attacks are on the rise.

The East Midlands Cyber Summit will provide a full day of expert talks, hands-on workshops, and networking to give small businesses a clear view of how cyber attacks unfold and the steps they can take to protect their organisations. 

Other confirmed speakers include:

• Jon O’Grady, information security expert at De Montfort University; 
• Professor Phil Legg from UWE Bristol; 
• Jill Broom, who leads the techUK Cyber Resilience programme; 
• Simon Plummer, Director of Information Security at Collective Security;
• Sophie Powell, co‑founder and director of CyberWomen Groups CIC and talent manager for Cyber PATH.

The East Midlands Cyber Summit is an opportunity to understand how and why cyber attacks happen to SMEs and to discover proven ways to boost your business’s resilience by learning directly from experts like Paul. 

It takes place from 9am to 4pm on 12 February 2026 at The Venue, Western Boulevard, Leicester. Registration is funded for East Midlands businesses through the Cyber Local programme, but only a small handful of places remain so book your place here quick.