British police have arrested two people in connection with a ransomware attack on a London-based childcare company that resulted in the theft of sensitive data belonging to more than 8,000 children, authorities said on Tuesday.
The Metropolitan Police said the suspects, two men aged 17 and 22, were detained in coordinated raids on several residential properties in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire.
They were arrested on suspicion of computer misuse and blackmail and remain in custody for questioning.
The arrests follow a cyberattack targeting Kido International, which operates 18 nurseries across Greater London, catering to children aged from infancy to five years old.
The hacking group Radiant, which claimed responsibility for the breach, first reported the attack on its dark web portal last month.
To prove its claim, the group published the names, photographs, home addresses, and family contact details of 10 children allegedly enrolled at one of Kido’s centres. The hackers have not disclosed the ransom amount demanded.
The incident has raised alarm over data protection and child safeguarding, given the highly sensitive nature of the stolen information.
Authorities say the attack is part of a growing wave of ransomware incidents targeting British institutions and businesses in 2025, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced cybersecurity measures across sectors handling personal and child-related data.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
