Hackers apologize after stealing nursery school data following massive public backlash

A ransomware group called Radiant apologized after stealing children’s photos from UK nursery chain Kido

A ransomware group has issued a public apology after stealing sensitive data from a British nursery school network and facing widespread condemnation. The hackers, who identified themselves as “Radiant,” had infiltrated the systems of Kido, a nursery chain in the United Kingdom, in late September, according to Dexerto and the BBC. The cyberattack led to the theft of personal information and photographs of thousands of children, with the group demanding a ransom of approximately £600,000 (around $800,000 USD) in Bitcoin.

Public reaction was swift and intense after reports surfaced that the hackers had even contacted parents directly to pressure payment. Following days of backlash and mounting scrutiny, Radiant abruptly reversed course, blurring the posted images before deleting them altogether. “All child data is now being deleted. No more remains and this can comfort parents,” a member of the group told the BBC, adding, “We are sorry for hurting kids.”

Cybersecurity experts, however, are skeptical of the hackers’ remorse. Jamie MacColl, a senior cybersecurity research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, told the BBC that Radiant’s apology was likely a strategic retreat rather than a moral one. “I wouldn’t give them too much credit. There are some red lines, and this group crossed one of them,” he said.

MacColl explained that in Russian-speaking cybercrime circles, targeting children is considered taboo and attracts unwanted attention from both peers and law enforcement. Analysts believe the hackers deleted the data to reduce the scrutiny from Western investigators and their own criminal networks.

Kido confirmed it did not pay any ransom. Radiant is believed to be a relatively new and inexperienced group that, as cybersecurity analysts suggest, has now learned the boundaries of what even the hacking underworld considers unacceptable.