Ransomware attack disables OLV Pulhof school servers and forces network rebuild

OLV Pulhof in Antwerp disclosed that attackers had encrypted and disabled its school servers in early January 2026 and demanded a ransom. The school refused payment, involved police and cybersecurity specialists, and established a new secure network environment while lessons continued. Attackers later attempted to extort parents directly and claimed to possess sensitive student and staff data. The exact intrusion date was not publicly specified, so the reported 30 January disclosure date is used. The attackers presented themselves as LockBit, but the school's external specialists assessed that they were likely impersonators rather than the genuine LockBit operation.