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Ransomware Victim Education

The University of Zagreb Faculty of Science

Ransomware attack by Nova ยท Disclosed July 2, 2025 ยท ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท Croatia

pmf.unizg.hr

Date Disclosed
Jul 2, 2025
2025
Threat Group
Nova
194 total victims
Country
๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท Croatia
Industry
Education

Incident Analysis

The University of Zagreb Faculty of Science was targeted by Nova ransomware, one of the most active ransomware groups in our database with 194 confirmed victims globally. The attack was disclosed on July 2, 2025, when The University of Zagreb Faculty of Science appeared on the group's dark web leak site.

The University of Zagreb Faculty of Science is based in Croatia , operating in the Education sector. Croatia ranks #51 globally for ransomware attacks, with 26 victims in our database.

Sector context: Educational institutions often have under-resourced IT security teams and hold large amounts of student and faculty personal data, making them attractive targets for ransomware groups.

Nova typically employs a double extortion model: first exfiltrating sensitive data from the victim's systems, then deploying ransomware to encrypt files. Victims face two simultaneous threats โ€” paying to restore access and paying to prevent publication of stolen data. The group's leak site publishes victim names and exfiltrated data as leverage.

Data source: This incident record is sourced from public ransomware group leak site disclosures aggregated via the ransomware.live API. Disclosure date reflects when the victim was published on the leak site, which may differ from the initial date of compromise. This platform does not publish or link to stolen data. Last data update: Aug 4, 2026 02:00 UTC.

Frequently Asked Questions

Was The University of Zagreb Faculty of Science attacked by ransomware?

Yes. The University of Zagreb Faculty of Science was listed as a victim of the Nova ransomware group on July 2, 2025. The organisation is based in Croatia and operates in the Education sector. The disclosure appeared on the group's dark web leak site.

Which ransomware group attacked The University of Zagreb Faculty of Science?

The University of Zagreb Faculty of Science was attacked by Nova ransomware. Nova is one of the most active ransomware groups, having claimed 194 victims globally. The group typically employs a double-extortion model: encrypting the victim's files and threatening to publish stolen data.

When did the The University of Zagreb Faculty of Science ransomware attack occur?

The ransomware attack on The University of Zagreb Faculty of Science was disclosed on July 2, 2025. This date reflects when the victim was published on the threat group's leak site, which may differ from the actual date of initial compromise.

What data was stolen in the The University of Zagreb Faculty of Science ransomware attack?

The specific data stolen from The University of Zagreb Faculty of Science has not been independently verified by this platform. Ransomware groups typically exfiltrate data before encrypting systems and use the threat of publication to pressure victims. As a Education organisation, The University of Zagreb Faculty of Science likely held student and faculty personal data and academic records.

How can organisations protect against Nova attacks?

To defend against Nova and similar threat actors, organisations should: maintain regular offline backups tested for restoration; implement network segmentation to limit lateral movement; deploy multi-factor authentication on all remote access; use endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools; conduct regular phishing and security awareness training; and monitor threat intelligence feeds for indicators of compromise (IOCs) associated with active groups.