Teens Arrested In London Preschool Ransomware Attack (theregister.com)
- Reference: 0179717242
- News link: https://yro.slashdot.org/story/25/10/08/2020255/teens-arrested-in-london-preschool-ransomware-attack
- Source link: https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/07/2_teens_arrested_in_london/
> London cops on Tuesday [1]arrested two teenagers on suspicion of computer misuse and blackmail following a ransomware attack on a chain of London preschools. London's Metropolitan Police said the two men, both aged 17, were taken into custody during an operation at residential properties in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire. The arrests followed a September 25 referral from the UK's Action Fraud reporting center detailing a ransomware attack on the preschools. While the Met police [2]didn't name the schools , the timing of the referral coincides with a digital break-in at Kido International, a preschool and daycare organization that operates in the UK, US, and India.
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> In a very aggressive -- and disgusting -- attempt to extort a ransom payment from Kido, the criminals published profiles of 10 children, including photos, names, and home addresses, along with their parents' contact details and in some cases places of work, threatening to expose more if the ransom demand wasn't met. A new crime crew calling itself the Radiant Group claimed responsibility for the attack, and posted the preschool's name, along with its pupils' profiles, as the first leak on its dark web site. The ransomware gang later deleted the kids' and parents' data, apparently under pressure from other criminals -- but not before some of the parents reported receiving threatening calls.
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/07/2_teens_arrested_in_london/
[2] https://news.met.police.uk/news/two-arrested-by-the-met-following-nursery-cyber-attack-501880
Crimes against women and children (Score:2)
My understanding of prison culture (US, anyway) is that convicts that committed crimes against women and children are targeted in prison by the other convicts and frequently need to conceal the nature of their victims or else they themselves become victims of prison yard justice.
Re: (Score:1)
Yea, that's so well known I find myself wondering if these idiots were even actually humans.
Re: (Score:2)
Yes, to an extent, but I believe that sort of mob justice tends to be directed more against actual child abusers than seventeen year olds threatening to release some private data into the wild. It's unlikely that the two suspects would face real prison time either, given that they were both minors when the alleged crimes were committed.
Re: (Score:2)
Perhaps. They likely might face some time in Juvie for it. As t whether they get hassled, thats a bit speculative. I'd suggest its more likely if they are hassled its because they are soft doughy little nerds.
Re: (Score:2)
Computers were fine, it's the internet that was a mistake. At least, letting kids on it and people dumb enough to put their kids' info on it was.