Nursery hackers delete children’s data following backlash, UK media reports

By Sophie Tanno, CNN

(CNN) — Hackers who stole the data of more than 8,000 children including photos, addresses and names and published some of the information on the dark web have removed the posts online and claim to have deleted the information, according to UK media reports.

The perpetrators had stolen the data from the Kido nursery chain and had been demanding the company pay a ransom by bitcoin.

According to the BBC, they had been contacting parents directly by telephone in order get the ransom – which is thought to have been around £600,000 ($809,700) – paid.

But now, the criminals, who reportedly call themselves “Radiant,” appear to have backtracked by removing all the information online and saying they have deleted all the stolen data, Britain’s public broadcaster reported.

It is understood they did not receive any of the ransom money.

The move follows widespread public revulsion over the attacks in the UK. “We are sorry for hurting kids,” one of the alleged cyber-criminals told the BBC.

Last week, it was reported that the information of the thousands of children from Kido was stolen by cyber hackers. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the UK’s technical authority for cyber security, described the reported incident as “deeply distressing.”

CNN has reached out to the Kido nursery chain for comment.

On its website, Kido says it is owned and operated by a group of parents from all over the world. “We now have schools around the globe, which bring together the world’s best early years practices to deliver the finest preschool experience for children and parents alike,” it says.

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