Italy's foreign ministry defends against cyberattack, seeks EU action

What happened

Italy plans to work with Romania and other EU member states to propose measures for designating actors responsible for cyberattacks. As detailed in Security Affairs, Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently defending its website against a cyberattack, with ongoing efforts to monitor embassy sites and advocate for European Union action to identify the perpetrators.

The ministry reported the attack on Oct. 8, stating that its security systems have so far mitigated the impact without causing disruptions.

While the identity and methods of the attackers remain undisclosed, the ministry is collaborating with the national cloud hub and relevant authorities. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani emphasized the strengthening of cybersecurity capabilities, a key aspect of last year's ministry reform.

Analysts are also scrutinizing the websites of Italian embassies and consulates abroad for similar incidents. The pro-Russian hacktivist group NoName057(16) has previously targeted Italian institutions, employing DDoS (flooding a service with traffic until it stops responding) attacks. The current attack on the foreign ministry's website follows a pattern of previous disruptions, including one in late December 2024.