A series of cyber attacks were launched against several Italian ministries and institutions on Saturday, following a visit from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Italy. The attacks were carried out by the pro-Russian group ‘Noname’.
Method of Attack
The attacks were in the form of DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) actions, which involve sending a large number of false requests to a computer system in an attempt to overload it and cause it to collapse.
Affected Institutions
Among the institutions affected by the attacks were the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Infrastructure and Transport, as well as the Antinopoli Agency, Carabinieros, Navy, and Aeronautics. Local public transport companies such as Atac from Rome, Amat from Palermo, and Amt from Genoa were also targeted.
Response to the Attacks
The National Cybersecurity Agency is working to support the affected entities in restoring functionality. Italian media reported that the agency is taking steps to mitigate the impact of the attacks and prevent future incidents.
Criticisms from the Hacker Group
The hacker group ‘Noname’ criticized Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on its Telegram channel, stating that Italy should focus on improving its own cybersecurity rather than supporting Ukraine. The group had previously launched an attack on the websites of Milan’s Linate and Malpensa airports on December 28.