TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Feng Chia University, a private school in Taichung, was targeted in a ransomware attack this week by a cybercriminal organization known as Nova. 

Feng Chia was alerted to the attack by an outside source on Tuesday and on Thursday said the school had implemented protective countermeasures. The attackers claim they have stolen 10 GB of sensitive data which will be made public if a ransom in cryptocurrency is not paid, reported CNA.

To limit damage, Feng Chia employed cybercrime consultants to protect their computer systems as soon as they became aware of the attack. The attackers claim to have obtained personal information on employees and student payment records, which the school disputes. 

Nova is a new cybercrime organization that first made its presence known in March, according to Security Land. Since its first reported attack, it has threatened over 20 entities with ransomware attacks, including the Taiwan fast food chain Formosa Chang last month, per UDN.

Nova is known to sell its ransomware program to other groups, dubbed “affiliates.” Once a computer system is infected, it will identify unprotected files and automatically  begin encrypting them, making them inaccessible to system users, per Sonicwall. 

In the latest round of Nova attacks, Feng Chia University and Sun Moon University in South Korea were targeted. Nova posted on its website the attack on Feng Chia was carried out by “Chinese APTNova Affiliates,” sparking concern that state-backed Chinese actors may be involved. 

Feng Chia university said on Friday that it has taken measures to mitigate further damage. An investigation is ongoing and the extent of the attack and compromised data is still unclear.