Children's names, pictures and addresses stolen in nursery hack

Children's names, pictures and addresses stolen in nursery hack

A group of hackers has claimed to have obtained personal information of about 8,000 children from the Kido nursery chain, including their photos, names, and addresses. The cyber criminals are using this sensitive data to demand a ransom from the nursery company, which operates 18 sites in and around London, as well as in the US and India. The hackers also allege that they possess details about the children’s parents and caregivers, along with safeguarding notes. They have reportedly reached out to some parents via telephone as part of their extortion strategy. Kido has not yet verified the hackers’ assertions when contacted by the BBC.

Employees at one of the affected nurseries have acknowledged being informed about a data breach and have advised parents not to engage with the media, despite some parents providing information to the BBC. It was mentioned by one individual, referred to as Mary, that better encryption measures would have been preferable. Mary disclosed that her family had been contacted by the hackers, who outlined the specific information taken. The response from the nursery in handling the situation was deemed satisfactory by Mary and her partner, who works in the field of cyber security.

Bryony Wilde, a parent with a child enrolled at a Kido nursery in London, conveyed her concerns about the breach, emphasizing that the affected children are inherently innocent. She emphasized that the privacy and personal details of children should not carry any value and underscored the importance of preserving their confidentiality. The hacking targeting nurseries has been condemned by the cyber security company Check Point, with one expert denouncing the deliberate exposure of children and schools to cyber threats as reprehensible.

The cyber criminals behind the breach, operating under the moniker Radiant, have surfaced as a seemingly new group in the hacking realm. Following their communication with the BBC about the incident, they proceeded to disclose details about the breach on their darknet platform. As part of their ransom demands, they have released a selection of children’s data, including images and profiles. Law enforcement agencies advise against complying with ransom demands, as it perpetuates the cycle of cyber crime

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