Two arrests have been made after a cyber attack on a chain of nurseries in London.
Specialist officers from Met Police raided a number of residential properties in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, where two people were arrested on suspicion of computer misuse as well as blackmail.
The Met Police arrested two men, aged 17 and 22, at the scene and took them in to custody where they remain for questioning. Enquiries are ongoing into the incident.
It comes as the force received a referral from Action Fraud on 25 September detailing a ransomware attack on a set of pre-schools in Greater London. Cyberhackers allegedly used pictures, along with the names of around 8,000 children from the Kido nursery chain, to demand ransom money.
Will Lyne, Met’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.”
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.
