A new wave of cyberattacks, claimed by the pro-Russian hackers Noname057(16), struck Italian ministry and institutional websites early Saturday morning.
The Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks temporarily disrupted several services. Targeted websites included the foreign affairs, infrastructure, and transport ministries, stock-market regulator Consob, the Carabinieri police, and the Navy and Air Force.
Public transport companies Atac in Rome, Amat in Palermo, and Amt in Genoa also reported disruptions. These same entities experienced similar cyberattacks two weeks ago. This time, the attacks were detected earlier, around 7 am.
The hackers announced the attacks on Telegram, criticising Premier Giorgia Meloni. “Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni confirmed full and constant support for Ukraine during a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Rome,” they wrote.
“According to Meloni, Italy will help Ukraine defend its interests and pursue a fair, long-lasting peace. Talks lasted about an hour and aimed to strengthen Kyiv’s position,” they added.
“Italy should start by helping itself and, first of all, its cybersecurity,” concluded their statement.
The National Cybersecurity Agency is working to restore systems and identify security gaps. Zelensky met with Meloni on Thursday night and held talks with President Sergio Mattarella on Friday morning.
The same group coordinated a cyberattack in late December.
