Sapienza University of Rome has taken its computer systems offline for three days following what appears to be a ransomware attack, disrupting digital services for its roughly 120,000 students. The university said it proactively shut down systems as a precaution, noting that email and workstations are only “partially limited” while restoration efforts continue from unaffected backups. Its website remains offline.
Italian outlet Il Corriere della Sera reported that attackers sent the university a ransom demand link with a 72-hour countdown that would activate if opened. Authorities have not officially confirmed the ransomware claim. Italy’s Agenzia per la Cybersicurezza Nazionale is investigating.
The report attributes the attack to a previously unknown group called “Femwar02,” allegedly using BabLock (also known as Rorschach) malware first identified in 2023. University officials have not commented on the specifics.
Despite the outage, exams are proceeding, with students instructed to coordinate directly with professors for registration. On-campus “infopoints” have been set up to assist students while digital systems are restored.
