Hackers Delete Stolen Images and Data After Nursery Cyberattack Sparks Outrage
A hacking group calling itself Radiant has deleted sensitive data it stole from Kido, a UK nursery chain, after a wave of public backlash. The group had tried to extort up to £600,000 in bitcoin by posting names, photos, and addresses of over 8,000 children online. “All child data is now being deleted. No more remains and this can comfort parents,” one of the hackers told the BBC. Kido says it never paid the ransom and is working with authorities and cybersecurity experts to confirm that the data is permanently gone.
The hackers initially posted the children’s profiles on the dark web, then blurred the images before removing them completely. One parent told the BBC she had received a threatening phone call from the attackers, who demanded pressure be put on Kido to pay. Experts say the group’s sudden apology — “We are sorry for hurting kids” — is more likely a reaction to the intense public outrage and fear of law enforcement, rather than genuine remorse. “Deleting the data wasn’t an act of kindness, it was damage control,” said cybersecurity analyst Rebecca Taylor.
Radiant gained access by buying entry from an "initial access broker" who had already compromised a Kido staff member’s device. Most of the stolen files came from Kido’s account with an early years education platform, though the platform itself was not breached. Analysts believe Radiant is a new group that is possibly inexperienced, and that the failed extortion attempt may have cost them money rather than generating it.
