
The Radiant Group ransomware gang has asserted responsibility for a significant data breach targeting Kido International Preschool & Daycare, an early childhood education network with facilities in the U.K., the U.S., and India. This incident represents a serious escalation in cybersecurity in education, specifically targeting the data of very young children.
According to the threat actors' claims, they have successfully exfiltrated highly sensitive information from Kido's systems. The Kido International data breach is particularly alarming due to the nature of the data involved.Â
The Radiant Group alleges it possesses data on more than 1,000 children. In a departure from standard ransomware tactics, where attackers might post financial records or internal documents as proof of a breach, the group has reportedly uploaded profiles of children.Â
These profiles allegedly include personal details and the contact information of their family members, amplifying the severity of this child data breach.
This potential attack underscores the increasing vulnerability of educational institutions to sophisticated cyber threats. The targeting of a preschool network and the specific choice to leak children's data signals a disturbing new tactic by the Radiant Group ransomware operators.Â
For the families involved, the eventual exposure of personal and contact information creates significant privacy and security risks. The full scope of the breach and the gang's specific demands have not been publicly confirmed by Kido International at this time.
The incident serves as a critical warning for the global education sector to bolster its cybersecurity measures, particularly for systems that store and process the personal information of minors.Â
In August, Kokomo24/7, a vendor for the Los Angeles Unified School District, was targeted by a cyberattack, with network files likely compromised, while the Qilin ransomware gang claimed a breach of Kerrville Independent School District in June.