Table of contents
- A strategic mandate for Mantovano
- The EU legal framework: CER and NIS2
- Cyber threats intensify in June
- Critical vulnerabilities and ACN response
- Building a stronger national defense
A strategic mandate for Mantovano
On June 30, 2025, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni signed a decree officially granting Alfredo Mantovano the responsibility for the resilience of critical entities.
Already serving as Secretary of the Council of Ministers and national security coordinator, Mantovano will now lead the protection of vital networks and services from cyber and physical threats.
The EU legal framework: CER and NIS2
This new role falls under Legislative Decree 134/2024, which implements the EU CER Directive (2022/2557), complementing the broader NIS2 regulation.
Il punto di contatto unico nazionale sarà un ufficio di livello dirigenziale superiore, istituito presso il Segretariato generale e responsabile del collegamento con le autorità europee.
Cyber threats intensify in June
The decision comes amid a surge in cyberattacks. The National Cyber Security Agency (ACN) reported 433 cyber events and 90 confirmed incidents in June 2025 alone — a 115% increase over May.
Italy faced 275 DDoS attacks in just 13 days, mainly from pro-Russian hacktivist groups, targeting non-critical but vulnerable systems like manufacturing sites, solar power plants, and hospitality structures.
Among the targets hit: photovoltaic systems, manufacturing companies, and hospitality facilities, exploiting vulnerable SCADA systems exposed to the Internet without adequate protection.
Critical vulnerabilities and ACN response
ACN also flagged serious vulnerabilities in widely used software:
- Citrix NetScaler (CVE-2025-5777, -5349, -6543)
- Roundcube (CVE-2025-49113)
- Veeam (CVE-2025-23121)
In June, the agency sent over 6,400 alerts to organizations, nearly double from May, to help mitigate risks and prevent compromise.
Building a stronger national defense
The assignment to Mantovano is designed to foster stronger coordination among the government, ACN, and critical sectors, ensuring a more robust and unified national response to ever-evolving threats.
