Kido nursery chain data breach affects about 8,000 children

Hackers who say they call themselves Radiant have posted private data belonging to thousands of nursery children and their families and are demanding payment, in a breach that has exposed sensitive records from the Kido nursery chain and prompted a police investigation. The attack, revealed this week, is understood to involve the personal details of about 8,000 children across Kido's network of UK nurseries and sites overseas, including photographs, full names, addresses and, the intruders say, safeguarding notes and information on parents and carers.

The group published sample profiles for 10 children on a dark web site and set out a roadmap threatening to publish further child and employee records if its demands are not met. Radiant contacted some parents directly by email and phone, according to families, attempting to extort money and urging them to pressure the nursery to pay. In messages to reporters the group said its actions were motivated by money and described the activity as a "pentest", a comment suggesting they portrayed the hack as a penetration test rather than indiscriminate theft.

Kido has told parents the incident is being treated with the highest priority and...