La Sapienza University in Rome, one of Europe's largest universities with around 120,000 students, just entered its third day of digital darkness. The school's entire computer infrastructure went down Tuesday following what Italian authorities are investigating as a ransomware attack - forcing the institution to pull the plug on email, workstations, and its main website. While exams continue in-person, the scope of the disruption reveals just how vulnerable even massive educational institutions remain to cyberattacks.
La Sapienza University of Rome, home to roughly 120,000 students and faculty, is now in its third consecutive day without functional computer systems after what appears to be a sophisticated ransomware attack. The institution - one of Europe's largest and oldest universities - announced Tuesday via Instagram that it had proactively shut down its digital infrastructure following a cyberattack, leaving email servers, workstations, and the university's main website completely offline.
The timing couldn't be worse. Mid-semester operations ground to a halt as students found themselves unable to register for exams online, access course materials, or communicate through official channels. According to TechCrunch, the university confirmed that "some communication channels such as email and workstations are 'partially limited'" - though as of Thursday, the school's website remained completely inaccessible.
Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera reported Wednesday that hackers sent university officials a ransom demand with a 72-hour countdown timer - but here's the twist: the clock doesn't start until someone clicks the link. It's a psychological pressure tactic that gives attackers control over the negotiation timeline while the university scrambles to assess the damage.
