Munster Technological University is at the centre of a cyber attack.
The hackers which are believed to be in Russia or part of the former Soviet Union, are known as ALPHV aka BlackCat or Noberus.
In a meeting of the High Court last night, the university reported it had received a ransom note from the group. Mr. Justice Garrett Simons heard the hackers are threatening to publish confidential information unless they receive a large payout. However, MTU says it will not be paying any ransom.
It is still unclear how much data the hackers have, or how they gained access to MTU's computer system.
As a result of the threat, MTU's solicitors, have been granted an emergency temporary injunction. This prevents the currently unknown persons behind the attack, and anyone else, from publishing or sharing any of the universities confidential material.
The court order will be served to the hackers via the the Darknet page where the ransom note was posted.
When seeking the order Imogen McGrath SC explained how the university and its 18,000 students had faced serious disruptions because of the attack. MTU's Cork campuses have been affected and will stay closed until Monday. Kerry campuses remain open.
