Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has expressed grave concerns over a significant cyberattack that has exposed sensitive information on high-profile politicians, labeling it a serious threat to democracy. The breach involved the theft of data from state databases, including details from the Ministry of Interior archives. Reports indicate that the compromised information was accessed over 50,000 times by a private investigative firm, targeting notable figures such as former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Senate President Ignazio La Russa, a key ally of current Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Tajani condemned the actions of the hackers, describing the incident as “unacceptable” and “criminal.”
The investigation, which led to the arrest of four individuals, centers around a Milan-based private investigator firm named Equalize, run by a former police officer. Prosecutors have revealed that the firm allegedly sold access to confidential information, which could be used for leverage or blackmail against politicians and businessmen. The unauthorized access spanned from 2019 to 2024 and included various sensitive databases, such as one monitoring suspicious financial activities and another maintained by the national tax agency containing citizens’ bank transactions and income statements.
Tajani emphasized the potential dangers posed by such breaches, noting that the stolen information could be weaponized by foreign adversaries, including Russia. He asserted that spying on individuals’ private lives and using the information for economic or political ends undermines the very fabric of democratic society. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities that exist in governmental cyber defenses and the necessity of robust measures to protect sensitive information.
This breach comes on the heels of another significant incident involving Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo, which targeted Prime Minister Meloni and her sister. In response to this earlier breach, Meloni has called for stringent sanctions against those who engage in hacking activities targeting politicians. She remarked on the potential ramifications of such breaches, stating that they could lead to blackmail and extortion, or worse, acts of subversion against the state. As investigations continue, the Italian government faces increasing pressure to strengthen its cybersecurity measures and ensure the integrity of its political landscape.
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