Hackers have stolen the personal details of around 8,000 children from the Kido nursery chain, sparking outrage and fear among parents.

The cybercriminal group, which calls itself 'Radiant', claims to have accessed names, addresses, photos of children, and even safeguarding notes. They say they also hold information about parents and carers—and, in some cases, have directly contacted families to pressure the nursery into paying a ransom.

Kido operates 18 nurseries in and around London, along with sites in the US and India. While the company has not made a public statement yet, parents and staff have been informed.

Cybersecurity experts have condemned the attack. Graeme Stewart from Check Point called it “an absolute new low,” adding, “To deliberately put children and schools in the firing line is indefensible.” The National Cyber Security Centre also described the hack as “deeply distressing,” warning that criminals will target anyone if there’s money to be made.

Some parents told the BBC they were shocked but appreciated the nursery’s quick communication. One parent, referred to as Mary, said her family even received a direct email from the hackers:

“It was very professional—no spelling mistakes or anything like that. We do feel the nursery handled it as well as they could.”

Others, like Bryony Wilde, were furious that children’s data was ever at risk in the first place.

“They are completely innocent victims. You expect extra care when it comes to children’s details.”

The hackers, who have already posted samples of stolen data on the dark web, told the BBC they weren’t demanding “an enormous amount” of money and tried to justify their actions as a kind of “penetration test”—a term usually used when ethical hackers are *hired* to check security systems. But unlike a legitimate test, this attack was unauthorized and intended for profit.

Police have warned against paying ransoms, as it only encourages more attacks. Investigators from the Metropolitan Police’s Cyber Crime Unit and the Information Commissioner’s Office are now involved.

Experts say this case feels especially alarming. Rebecca Moody from Comparitech explained:

“We’ve seen brazen ransomware groups before, but this crosses a line. The nursery must urgently contact every family affected.”

This attack comes amid a wave of recent high-profile hacks, including those that disrupted Jaguar Land Rover, M&S, and the Co-op. But for many families, this case feels far more personal—because the victims are children. Photo by jaydeep_, Wikimedia commons.