Business
Names, pictures and addresses of 8,000 children stolen in nursery chain hack
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Hackers say they have stolen the pictures, names and addresses of around 8,000 children from the Kido nursery chain.
The gang of cyber criminals is using the highly sensitive information to demand a ransom from the company, which has 18 sites in and around London, with more in the US and India.
The criminals say they also have information about the children’s parents and carers as well as safeguarding notes.
They claim to have contacted some parents by phone as part of their extortion tactics.
The BBC has contacted Kido for comment. It is yet to confirm the hackers’ claims.
But an employee at one of the nurseries confirmed they have been notified of a data breach.
Cyber-security firm Check Point described the targeting of nurseries as “an absolute new low”.
One of its experts Graeme Stuart said: “To deliberately put children and schools in the firing line, is indefensible. Frankly, it is appalling.”
The hacking group responsible for the claims appears to be relatively new and calls itself Radiant.
The cyber criminals contacted the BBC about the hack and have subsequently posted details of it to their darknet website.
It has published a sample of data there including pictures and profiles of 10 children from the stolen data set.
It has been published as part of their attempt to extort money from the nursery chain, which has its 18 nurseries mostly in the London area.
Police advise not to pay ransoms as it further fuels the cyber-crime ecosystem.
When asked by BBC News if they felt bad about extorting a nursery using the children’s data, the criminals said they “weren’t asking for an enormous amount” and they “deserve some compensation for our pentest.”
A “pentest” – or penetration test – is the term for when ethical hackers are hired to assess the security of an organisation in a controlled and professional way.
These hackers however attacked the nursery chain without their permission.
“Of course” it’s about money, they admitted to the BBC.
The hack is the latest in a series of high-profile cyber-attacks, which has seen production grind to a halt at Jaguar Land Rover, and caused massive disruption to M&S and the Co-op.
Rebecca Moody, head of data research at software firm Comparitech, said the nature of the data posted online raised “alarm bells”.
“We’ve seen some low claims from ransomware gangs before, but this feels like an entirely different level,” she said.
She said the firm should contact anyone affected by the data breach “as a matter of urgency”.
The BBC has approached the National Crime Agency for comment.
Additional reporting by Graham Fraser, Technology reporter
Business
Starmer to announce plans for digital ID scheme
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Sir Keir Starmer is expected to announce plans for a compulsory UK-wide digital ID scheme in a speech on Friday.
The prime minister believes it would help crack down on illegal working and modernise the state, according to senior figures in government.
The practicalities of the scheme will be subject to a consultation, which will also look at how to make it work for those without a smartphone or passport.
The previous Labour government’s attempt to introduce ID cards was ultimately blocked by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition.
But earlier this month, Sir Keir said he thought the debate had “moved on” since then, adding: “We all carry a lot more digital ID now than we did 20 years ago”.
Reports have suggested the government plans to use a new scheme to check people’s right to live and work in the UK.
These checks are currently based on physical documents, although routes to complete the checks online for some people have existed since 2022.
Business
BBC partly upholds complaints over Bob Vylan Glastonbury set
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The BBC’s broadcast of Bob Vylan’s controversial set at Glastonbury broke editorial guidelines in relation to harm and offence, the corporation’s complaints unit has ruled.
However, it has been cleared of breaching the BBC’s rules on impartiality and being likely to encourage or incite crime.
The punk duo led a chant of “death, death to the IDF [Israel Defence Forces]” and made other derogatory comments during their performance, which was available to watch via a live stream on iPlayer.
The ruling comes after the BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) examined four complaints, which were partly upheld.
The ECU said the performance broke harm and offence guidelines because of the band’s chants against the IDF, their uses of the slogans “From the river to the sea” and “Free, free Palestine”, and their references to a record company boss “in the most abusive terms”, using offensive language referring to “Zionists”.
The latter segment was in breach of guidance dealing with “unduly intimidating, humiliating, intrusive, aggressive or derogatory remarks aimed at real people”, the ruling said.
Business
Backlash from Labour MPs to Burnham leadership ambitions
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Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is facing a backlash from dozens of Labour MPs over suggestions he could mount a challenge to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership.
Burnham has criticised the Labour government in a series of interviews and says he has been contacted by Labour MPs urging him to stand.
But the majority of Labour MPs contacted by the BBC said they were against such a move.
One said the mayor “seems to promote himself every time there’s a perceived crack in the wall… a bit like Japanese knotweed” and a government minister said there were a “few disgruntled MPs who make up the Burnham fan club” and the rest just wanted him to “focus on his actual job in Manchester”.
BBC Radio 5 Live asked 320 out of the 399 Labour MPs currently sitting in Parliament for comment. Many of the dozens who replied were unhappy at the performance of the Labour government, but few suggested Burnham’s return would improve their fortunes.
Sir Keir has been rocked by a series of scandals, including the resignation of former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and the forced departure of former US ambassador Lord Mandelson.
In the latest development, the PM’s director of communications Steph Driver has quit her role.
Sir Keir said she had been “a loyal and valued member” of his team for almost five years.
Driver is the third person in six months with the “director of communications” title to leave Downing Street.
There appears to be little appetite among Labour MPs for a change at the very top of government.
Some Labour MPs who spoke to the BBC were hostile to Burnham and said a leadership challenge so soon after last year’s general election would be damaging for the party.
One said it would be “madness” to get rid of the prime minister at this stage, while one minister branded Burnham’s comments “completely illogical and utterly self-indulgent”.
Others dismissed Burnham’s chances of returning to Westminster and said his flirtations with a leadership bid had been unhelpful for the party at a difficult time.
Some Labour MPs have gone public with their views on Burnham.
Markus Campbell-Savours, the Labour MP for Penrith and Solway, said Burnham would need to find a safe seat to come back to the House of Commons.
He said: “There are none. He won’t be in Parliament anytime soon. So if there really are colleagues who think he’s going to swoop in and save the day, they need to give their head a wobble.”
Sojan Joseph, the Labour MP for Ashford, said he “completely supported the prime minister and his vision for change”.
He said: “Andy Burnham is doing a very good job as mayor of Manchester and he is best placed to focus on that, rather than speculate on leadership ambitions.”
Some MPs, speaking off the record to the BBC, were supportive of Burnham.
One veteran backbencher said: “It’s the worst kept secret in politics that Andy would love to be back in Parliament and of course he had his eyes laser focussed on the top job.”
He added that “many Labour MPs particularly those from outside the capital see Andy Burnham as the potential saviour of their own positions come the next election”.
Another backbencher said it was “good” that Burnham had “come out with some constructive ideas” – and another said the Manchester mayor “offers something different”.
“He is certainly offering a vision which is severely lacking at the minute,” added the MP.
Even though there does not appear to be a widespread appetite for a change in leadership, Labour MPs are worried about local and national elections in Wales, Scotland and England next year and the rise of Reform UK in opinion polls.
One minister acknowledged the elections would be tough and speculated that a leadership challenge before then may not be beyond the realms of possibility.
In an interview with the BBC, Burnham has said it was up to Labour MPs to decide whether the party needs a change of leadership.
The mayor said Labour MPs “were in touch with me” to discuss the leadership and urged the government to develop a “proper plan for the country”.
He has also given interviews to the Telegraph, the Guardian and the New Statesman, which wrote up a lengthy profile that described his vision for the country.
To challenge for the Labour leadership, Burnham would need to become an MP.
Many barriers would stand in the way if he decided to chart that course, not least the selection process to stand for a vacant seat.
If he made it to Parliament, Burnham would have to secure the backing of 80 Labour MPs to challenge Sir Keir for the leadership.
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