Hackers have claimed to have stolen pictures, names and addresses of thousands of children in a cyber attack on a nursery chain.
The group posted images of children from the Kido nursery chain on the dark web – and are demanding a ransom from the company.
Parents whose children attend a Kido nursery branch told Sky News they had received an email confirming the data incident – and were offered reassurance by the company.
An independent intelligence company confirmed the claims from the hackers, who appear to be threatening to release further details, and those of staff members.
An Information Commissioner’s Office spokesperson said: “Kido International has reported an incident to us and we are assessing the information provided.”
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The Met Police said they “received a referral on Thursday, 25 September, following reports of a ransomware attack on a London-based organisation”.
They said enquiries are at the early stages and no arrests have been made.
Sky News has contacted Kido for comment.