Two men arrested following cyber attack on nurseries
Two men have been arrested on suspicion of computer misuse and blackmail following reports of a cyber attack on a chain of London-based nurseries.
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Cyberhackers were said to be using pictures, along with the names of around 8,000 children from the Kido nursery chain, to demand ransom money.
Kido currently has 18 sites in and around London, including further locations in the US and India.
The hackers allegedly posted images of children on the dark web and demanded a ransom from the company.
The hacking group also allegedly claimed to have contacted some parents from the nursery by phone as part of their extortion tactics.
The two men, both aged 17, were arrested following a Metropolitan Police operation at a number of properties in Bishop’s Stortford in Hertfordshire on Tuesday.
They remain in custody for questioning, the force said.
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Will Lyne, the Met Police’s head of economic and cybercrime, said: “Since these attacks took place, specialist Met investigators have been working at pace to identify those responsible.
“We understand reports of this nature can cause considerable concern, especially to those parents and carers who may be worried about the impact of such an incident on them and their families.
“We want to reassure the community and anyone affected that this matter continues to be taken extremely seriously.
“These arrests are a significant step forward in our investigation, but our work continues, alongside our partners, to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.”