77/69 Monday, February 9, 2026
La Sapienza University in Rome, Italy, remains unable to fully restore its IT services after suffering a cyberattack on February 2, causing widespread operational disruptions. Students have been unable to book exams, verify tuition payments, or access faculty contact information. The university has primarily communicated updates through social media and stated that it is still unable to provide a clear timeline for the complete restoration of its systems.
The university confirmed that the incident was a cyberattack and immediately shut down all network systems to contain the damage and prevent the threat from spreading. This response suggests the possibility of a ransomware attack. Some local media outlets reported that the incident may involve a ransomware strain known as “Bablock” and could be linked to a cybercriminal group called Femwar02. However, these details remain under investigation and have not yet been officially confirmed.
The university has reported the incident to law enforcement authorities and Italy’s National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN) to support the ongoing response efforts. Technical teams are currently assessing the scope of the security breach before initiating data recovery from backup systems. At this stage, it is unclear whether the backups are fully intact or if some data may be unrecoverable following potential ransomware encryption. The incident highlights the severe impact cyberattacks can have on academic institutions.
