Italian authorities are investigating a wave of cyber incidents after pro-Russian hackers published personal data belonging to Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and offered payment for further details about him and his family, according to Corriere della Sera. The same reporting says European security services are looking into a possible Russian trail behind the broader campaign, which has also included bomb alerts on flights and a cyberattack on the company operating the Brenner Base Tunnel. Eurocontrol, the European air traffic management body, reported alerts concerning 35 European flights across three days, Corriere della Sera writes.
Why it matters
The episodes point to what Italian officials describe as a hybrid threat that mixes digital intrusion with disruption to transport and public institutions. Tajani himself framed the campaign in those terms, saying Italy faces a hybrid war and that he had asked Monday's G7 meeting in Paris to put the issue at the centre of its discussions, according to Corriere della Sera.
The targeting of a serving deputy prime minister, a senior prosecutor and police officials raises questions about how well personal and institutional data are protected, and about the intent behind the leaks. Investigators cited by Corriere della Sera believe the actors range from organised groups seeking to sow chaos to lone individuals copying them, all aiming to cause alarm with limited effort.
Bounty posted on the dark web
According to Corriere della Sera, offers seeking confidential information about Tajani's private and professional life were found on the dark web via the Tor browser, which allows anonymous navigation. The paper reports that the offers were not limited to Tajani but also concerned other European political figures, and that they may have been intended to supply material to extremist groups or others.
Corriere Roma reported that a group calling itself "NoName" had set up what it described as a tribunal on the dark web, listing Tajani among its targets and asking for his address and who lives with him in exchange for payment.
Tajani confirmed the leaks in a post on X, saying cybercriminals had for days been circulating his personal data and soliciting more, exposing him to fresh threats and intimidation, and that his family had been drawn in as well. He said he would not be intimidated and would keep working to defend his ministry and Italy, while strengthening cooperation with allies. He linked the targeting to Italy's position on Ukraine, arguing that defending the freedom of a sovereign state is treated as dangerous by such criminal entities. Tajani also said the foreign ministry had created a cyber directorate from 1 January to guard against intrusions by actors he said are often tied in some way to hostile states.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed full solidarity with Tajani, saying the sale of confidential information about institutional figures is deeply worrying and must be met with maximum determination, according to Corriere della Sera. Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, in a post on X cited by the paper, extended solidarity to Tajani, Rome prosecutor Francesco Lo Voi, postal police official Ivano Gabrielli, Aviano mayor Paolo Tassan-Zanin and everyone affected, saying the episode shows how the threats to Italy's security and institutions have changed.
Tunnel operator isolates systems
The Brenner Base Tunnel company, BBT SE, confirmed it had suffered a targeted cyberattack in which unauthorised parties gained access to data reachable via the internet, Corriere della Sera reports, citing the Tiroler Tageszeitung. In a statement, the company said it activated its cybersecurity protocols as soon as the incident was detected, immediately isolating the affected systems and bringing in external specialists to carry out forensic analysis. It said all required steps had been taken and the competent authorities informed.
According to the company, the incident appears to have had no effect on its operational activities, and checks are continuing to establish the details of the attack. Investigations are ongoing. The tunnel project had already faced difficulties this year, including a construction halt over arsenic found in the soil, fatalities on the Austrian side and doubts about the project's economic viability, the paper notes.
What to watch
The coming days will show whether European services can substantiate the suspected Russian link and whether the G7 discussion in Paris produces coordinated measures. For Italy, the focus is on the forensic findings from the Brenner Tunnel breach and on whether the data leaks lead to further intimidation of public figures.
