Table of contents
- Targeted attack: airports and Ministry Under Siege
- The NoName signature: who was behind the attacks?
- Cyber security experts at work: preventing future attacks
- Italy in the crosshairs: what’s next for digital security?
Targeted attack: airports and Ministry Under Siege
On March 14th, Italy once again became the target of the pro-Russian hacker collective NoName, which launched a cyberattack against Malpensa and Linate airports, as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The attack disrupted public websites, preventing users from accessing crucial information such as flight schedules. Although the incident caused inconvenience to travelers, airport operations remained unaffected.
However, this event once again exposed the vulnerabilities of Italy’s digital infrastructure in the face of increasing cyber threats.
The NoName signature: who was behind the attacks?
The NoName057(16) group, already notorious for its offensives against Western institutions, claimed responsibility for the attack as retaliation for Italy’s support of Ukraine.
The March 14th operation followed a typical DDoS attack (Distributed Denial of Service), aiming to overload the servers of ministries, local governments, and strategic businesses, temporarily rendering them inaccessible.
The attack on 14 March was not limited to airports and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Other targets included:
- Bank websites;
- Strategic ports, such as Trieste and Taranto;
- Platforms belonging to various Italian regions.
Each attack was explicitly claimed as a political response to the Italian government’s stance on Ukraine.
Cyber security experts at work: preventing future attacks
Following the attack, the National Cybercrime Center for Critical Infrastructure Protection (CNAIPIC) of the Postal Police launched an investigation to trace the sources of the cyberattack and reinforce Italy’s national cyber security measures.
Experts warn that cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructures are increasing. Institutions and businesses must adopt advanced defense strategies, such as:
- Anti-DDoS protection systems;
- Continuous server monitoring;
- Emergency plans to ensure operational continuity in the event of cyberattacks.
Italy in the crosshairs: what’s next for digital security?
The March 14th event once again proved that modern warfare is not just fought on the battlefield but also in cyberspace.
Like many other European nations, Italy urgently needs to strengthen its cyber defense against increasingly sophisticated threats.
