Pro-Russian hackers have launched a series of cyber attacks against Italian institutions. This comes after President Sergio Mattarella criticized Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, comparing it to the actions of Nazi Germany during World War II. In a speech last week, Mattarella said that the “wars of aggression” that led to World War II were the “project of the Third Reich in Europe.” He added that “the current Russian aggression against Ukraine is of this nature.”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova responded by calling Mattarella’s remarks “blasphemous inventions.” Shortly after, the cyber attacks began.
The attacks targeted several key national services, including airports, public transport, and banking systems. Pro-Russian hacker groups claimed the attacks were in retaliation for Italy’s support of Ukraine. The attacks were primarily Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, which aim to overload servers and disrupt operations.
Pro-Russian cyber retaliation against Italy
While they caused temporary disruptions, they did not significantly damage critical infrastructure. Italy’s National Cybersecurity Agency (NCA) quickly intervened, alerting affected institutions and implementing countermeasures to mitigate the attacks.
One of the targets, Intesa San Paolo, one of Italy’s largest banks, confirmed that its systems remained operational despite some precautionary security checks. The swift response from cybersecurity authorities helped prevent widespread damage, highlighting the resilience of Italy’s digital defenses. However, the incident underscores the ongoing cyber threats posed by pro-Russian groups and the need for continued vigilance against politically motivated cyber warfare.
Italy has been a political and economic ally of Russia for years. However, under the current Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, it has firmly stood by Ukraine, including providing military aid.
Image Credits: Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash
