Hackers Claim To Have Stolen Pictures, Names, and Addresses of Children From Nursery Chain Kido
A cyber gang calling itself "Radiant" claims to have stolen photos, names, addresses, and even safeguarding notes of around 8,000 children from Kido, a nursery chain with sites in the UK, US, and India. The hackers are demanding a ransom and have already posted some of the stolen images on the dark web. Parents say they were contacted directly by the attackers, and experts and law enforcement have condemned the incident, calling it “appalling” and “deeply distressing.”
The gang has also claimed to hold data on parents and staff, and says it deserves "compensation for our pentest"—a term usually associated with authorised security testing, though this attack was anything but. One parent described the hacker email as "professional and well-written," while others expressed anger over the children's personal information being used as leverage. Some families were asked not to speak to the media, but several have come forward, calling their children "completely innocent victims."
Kido has not issued a public statement but has informed affected families and reported the breach to the Information Commissioner’s Office. The Met Police cyber crime unit is investigating but has made no arrests. Security experts say the attack marks a disturbing shift in tactics, with children now being used as bargaining chips in extortion schemes.
