Teens Arrested In London Preschool Ransomware Attack (theregister.com) 16
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Register: London cops on Tuesday 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
Re:It's time to say it. (Score:4, Informative)
There's an old term for this. The eternal September. It's been autumn since 1993.
Re: (Score:2)
AOL was the biggest contributor to this. They opened the doors to the insane asylum and let the crazies wander about willy-nilly.
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)
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)
Soft doughy little nerds survive in prison by having brains that are valuable to the inmate leadership.
Look! An invisible hand! (Score:2)
Market players developing and enforcing market rules. Even amongst criminals.
There's a PhD thesis in there for an economist able to get the data.
Re: (Score:2)
and if they rat them out they may get killed in the joint
Re: (Score:3)