Osaka University Hit by Ransomware, 130,000 Students’ Data at Risk

Osaka Metropolitan University has suspended all classes after a major ransomware attack. The incident began on October 2, 2026, and forced the university to shut down its IT systems across five campuses.

500 Servers Knocked Offline

Attackers broke into the university’s core information systems and caused about 500 servers to stop working. The breach disabled internal networks, email services, and systems used for academic administration and financial accounting.

Outside cybersecurity experts confirmed that the attackers tampered with data and encrypted much of the university’s backup files. This is especially serious because encrypted backups make recovery much harder.

The university shut down in-person classes through October 8 to allow time for system recovery and forensic analysis. Officials planned to resume lectures on October 9.

130,000 People Affected

The exposed data is extensive. It includes full names and home addresses, email addresses and mobile phone numbers, student ID photos, and bank account details used for staff salary payments. Historical records from two merged institutions, Osaka Prefecture University and Osaka City University, were also affected.

The university estimates that at least 130,000 current and former students, graduates, and faculty members are impacted. Officials have not confirmed whether the stolen data has been leaked publicly.

The university reported the incident to Japan’s Personal Information Protection Commission, the Ministry of Education, and Osaka police. It also set up a temporary emergency website to share updates with students and staff.

Hospitals Keep Running

The university hospital and veterinary center stayed open because they use separate computer systems. This separation likely prevented a much worse crisis, as hospital shutdowns can put lives at risk.

The university is advising all students and staff to change their passwords once systems come back online. This is a standard precaution after a breach, since stolen login details can be used for further attacks.

A Growing Trend

Universities are popular targets for ransomware gangs. They hold large amounts of personal data, often have limited cybersecurity budgets, and cannot afford long shutdowns during the school term. This makes them more likely to pay ransoms.

The Osaka attack follows a similar pattern to other education breaches in 2026. Experts recommend that universities keep offline backups, train staff to spot phishing emails, and separate critical systems like hospitals from the main network.

Recovery Will Take Time

Recovering from ransomware is a slow process. The university must first understand exactly what the attackers did, then rebuild systems from clean backups. Since the attackers encrypted backup files too, recovery becomes much more difficult.

Cybersecurity experts are helping the university investigate. They need to determine how the attackers got in, what data was accessed, and whether any stolen information has been shared online. This forensic work can take weeks or even months to complete properly.