The Italian Cyber Security Agency (ACN) announced on Monday, February 17th, that a pro-Russia hacker group carried out cyber attacks on the websites of 20 major institutions.

Earlier this month, Italian President Mattarella’s comparison of Russia’s war on Ukraine to Nazi Germany expansionism led to tension between the two countries.

Following this development, cyber attacks on Italy began. Banks and airports Targeted Noname057(16), a hacker group, claimed responsibility for the attacks on Italy. Hackers targeted Italy’s largest airports and banks. According to the Italian Cyber Security Agency, the attacks did not result in major disruptions. The Goal of the Attacking Group La Repubblica newspaper claimed that the hacker group carried out these attacks as retaliation for President Mattarella’s statements.

The group usually aims for political and economic targets in its actions, seeking to weaken countries’ infrastructures and sow chaos. They have also targeted other countries Noname057(16) has made a name for itself with cyber attacks on countries since 2022. Hackers have previously launched cyber attacks on Ukrainian news sites, the Polish government website, leading financial institutions in Denmark, and the websites of presidential candidates in the Czech Republic. They are known for announcing their actions and taunting their targets on Telegram channels. Italy’s Response ACN released a statement emphasizing that the attacks did not cause major disruptions and the situation is under control. The agency stated that they have increased security measures after the attacks and are prepared for similar attacks in the future. Cyber Security Investment in the Pipeline After the recent attack, Italy decided to invest more in cyber security and enhance national security.

Reports in the Italian media suggest that the government will review its cyber security strategies.