One of Europe’s largest universities, Rome-based La Sapienza, has been left grappling with a major cyberattack that forced its computer systems offline for nearly three days, disrupting academic operations for more than 120,000 students and staff.
University authorities said they shut down their digital infrastructure as a precautionary measure after detecting the breach, amid growing indications that the incident may involve a ransomware attack.
In official updates shared on social media, La Sapienza said it was working to restore all digital services and confirmed that several communication channels — including email and workstations — remain only partially functional. The university’s website was also inaccessible for extended periods following the attack.
Administrators said system recovery efforts are underway using secure backups that were not affected by the breach. However, officials have not yet clarified whether any sensitive student or staff data was accessed or exfiltrated during the incident.
Italian daily Il Corriere della Sera reported that the disruption was caused by ransomware, claiming that hackers sent the university a ransom demand link featuring a 72-hour countdown timer. Neither La Sapienza nor government authorities have formally confirmed the ransom demand so far.
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Italy’s national cybersecurity agency, Agenzia per la Cybersicurezza Nazionale (ACN), has launched an investigation into the incident. The agency has yet to release technical details on the nature of the breach or the scale of potential data exposure.
Subsequent media reports suggest the attack may be linked to a previously unknown hacking group calling itself “Femwar02.” The group is believed to have deployed BabLock — also known as Rorschach — a fast-encrypting ransomware strain first identified in 2023 and associated with sophisticated intrusion techniques.
Despite the outage, the university said examinations will proceed as scheduled. Students have been asked to register directly with professors, while temporary “infopoints” have been set up across campus to provide updates and assistance.
Cybersecurity experts note that universities have increasingly become high-value targets for ransomware gangs due to their vast repositories of personal data, academic records and research material, combined with often fragmented IT infrastructure.
Educational institutions across Europe and the United States have faced a surge in cyber incidents over the past year. In recent cases, prominent universities including Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania were targeted by hackers who stole sensitive data in attempted extortion schemes, underscoring the growing vulnerability of the sector.
The La Sapienza attack has reignited debate around cybersecurity preparedness in higher education, with analysts warning that legacy systems, decentralized networks and limited security budgets leave many universities exposed to advanced threat actors.
Security specialists stress that regular vulnerability assessments, staff training and resilient backup systems are now critical, as ransomware groups increasingly focus on organizations where operational disruption can exert pressure to pay.
For La Sapienza — one of Italy’s most prestigious academic institutions — the incident represents a serious operational challenge, coming at a time when universities worldwide are rapidly expanding their digital footprints.
As restoration efforts continue, authorities are urging caution against speculation while forensic teams work to determine the attack vector and assess any potential data compromise.
The episode serves as a stark reminder that cyber resilience is no longer optional for educational institutions, but a core requirement in an era of escalating digital threats.
About the author – Rehan Khan is a law student and legal journalist with a keen interest in cybercrime, digital fraud, and emerging technology laws. He writes on the intersection of law, cybersecurity, and online safety, focusing on developments that impact individuals and institutions in India.
