Two arrested over ransomware attack on London-based Kido Schools

Two people have been arrested after a late-September ransomware attack on a London-based nursery chain that saw hackers steal photographs and personal information for thousands of children and their families and briefly publish some images online before claiming to delete the data. Metropolitan Police officers detained a 17-year-old and a 22-year-old at properties in Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire, on suspicion of computer misuse and blackmail, and they remain in custody as enquiries continue.

The attack targeted Kido Schools, which operates 18 nurseries in and around London. Investigators say hackers exfiltrated photos, names, addresses and other family details for an estimated 8,000 children and parents. The group calling itself Radiant demanded roughly 600,000 pounds in ransom, and some parents reported being phoned directly by people seeking to pressure the nursery into paying. After a week of publicity and backlash, the hackers posted a small number of images to the dark web, blurred faces in some instances and later posted a message saying, "All child data is now being deleted. No more remains and this can comfort parents," adding "We are sorry for hurting kids."