Largest college in Europe shut down from cyberattack

24 hours ago
2 min read

Happy Friday

Italian University La Sapienza disclosed on social media this week that it has been the victim of a cyberattack. This is a big deal because the University is Europe’s largest by number of in-campus residents, with over 112,500 enrolled students.

As a precautionary measure and to ensure the integrity and security of private data, an immediate shutdown of all network systems was ordered. This included their website which I just checked is "technically" back online but it's really slow and broken. Everything from teaching portals to student emails, class records and meal accounts are dark.

Although the university has not disclosed much information about the attack type or the perpetrators, Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera claims that the incident is a ransomware attack perpetrated by a pro-Russian threat actor called Femwar02 and resulted in data encryption.

According to Corriere Della Sera’s sources, a ransom exists, but the university staff has not opened it to avoid triggering the 72-hour timer. Hence, the ransom amount hasn’t been specified. Either way, the stolen data will likely be disseminated or sold to data extortion groups, so the risk of it ending up in the wrong hands is very real.

The Takeaway

So what can we learn from the La Sapienza attack?

Basic security habits still make a real difference. Most ransomware attacks begin with phishing emails or unpatched software. Using strong unique passwords, enabling multi factor authentication, and installing updates promptly can significantly reduce your company's risk.
Backups and preparation matter more than panic. Instead of immediately paying a ransom, the university focused on containment and recovery. As for your company, keeping secure backups in more than one location can be the difference between a minor inconvenience and permanent data loss.
Ransomware is not just a corporate problem. No matter where you work, your clients and community depend on you to keep yourself safe, so be vigilant!

Stay safe out there.

-Attila

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