London police have arrested two 17-year-old boys in connection with a recent incident. Cyberattack on the London kindergarten network Kidowhich saw hackers publish photos of babies stolen from victims' systems in an attempt to extort the firm, sparking widespread public outrage.
The arrests were made on Tuesday, October 7, in Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire. Individuals who cannot be identified due to age are suspected of computer abuse and blackmail.
“Since these attacks occurred, the Met's specialist investigators have been actively working to identify those responsible,” said Will Line, head of the Metropolitan Police's economic and cyber crime unit.
“We understand that reports of this nature may cause serious concern, particularly for those parents and carers who may be concerned about the impact of such an incident on them and their families.
“We want to reassure the community and everyone concerned that this matter continues to be taken extremely seriously,” Line said. “These arrests are a significant step forward in our investigation, but we continue to work with our partners to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.”
“These arrests are the latest in a series of law enforcement actions against cyber criminals in the UK in response to a growing number of high-profile incidents,” he said. Sophos Threat Team researcher and threat intelligence manager Rebecca Taylor.
“Historically, most cyberattacks against businesses have been carried out by outlaw Russian groups, but these arrests show that law enforcement can and will take action against individuals under their jurisdiction,” she said.
Leaked photos
A ransomware attack on Kido occurred in September, in which the personal data of about 8,000 children, as well as the contact details of guardians and parents, were stolen.
The attackers, calling themselves Radiant, demanded a ransom of around £600,000 in Bitcoin, but it was the cyber gangsters' decision to publish photographs of around 20 children taken by those responsible that sparked a national outcry that forced them to back down. They later stated that they had deleted all the stolen data, whether this is true or not is unknown. and told BBC reporters they regretted their actions..
Comparitech Security specialist Brian Higgins said the widespread condemnation of the hackers – from the public, the cyber community and even other criminals – likely contributed “no small amount” to their hacking attempt..
“Kudos is still a powerful motivator for many young cybercriminals,” he said.[and] the fact that they demanded an apparently unattainable financial sum from their victims also speaks to their immaturity and inexperience, which explains their quick identification and arrest.
“It is good to know that, at least from time to time, the relevant authorities can successfully intervene, but this case highlights how easy it is to carry out such attacks even without the necessary technical knowledge that may have been needed in the past.
Higgins added: “Unfortunately, given the sheer number of young people willing to take up cybercrime these days, there aren't many cautionary tales out there.”
Source of concern
Other UK teenagers participating The recent wave of Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters cybercrime, which targeted Marks & Spencer and Jaguar Land Rover, has also sparked a wider national conversation about how easily many young people in the UK fall into a life of cybercrime.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) estimates that around a fifth of children aged 10 to 16 have engaged in some form of illegal activity online, with 5% of 14-year-olds admitting to hacking. Last year, according to the agency, a seven-year-old child was referred to the Cyber Choices digital crime prevention program.
Meanwhile, the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) recently found that – based on an investigation into more than 200 reported hacks in schools and universities – more than half of insider threat incidents were called by students. While such activities often occur as a challenge or just for fun, the ICO warns that such activities can all too easily escalate into outright criminality.
“The fact that computer abuse is estimated at millions of incidents a year shows how common hacking behavior is becoming, especially among young people,” he said. Checkpoint head of the enterprise Charlotte Wilson.
“We are seeing students treating schools and colleges as testing grounds. It's time to turn digital evil into digital mentoring before curiosity becomes a crime.”
