Cyber Incident Victim: Italy
Date:
Dec 2024
Location:
Italy
Summary
A pro-Russian hacker group known as Noname057(16) claimed responsibility for a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack targeting Italy's Foreign Ministry and approximately ten other official websites, including those of Milan's two airports. The attackers flooded networks with excessive traffic to temporarily paralyze services, citing retaliation against perceived "Russophobes." The country's cybersecurity agency mitigated the impact within two hours, preventing flight disruptions at the affected airports. While institutional websites were rendered inaccessible, airport mobile applications remained operational throughout the incident.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actor | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 actor | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On December 28, 2024, hackers targeted approximately ten official Italian websites, including the Foreign Ministry’s digital platforms and the public-facing websites of Milan’s Linate and Malpensa airports. The attacks rendered these websites temporarily inaccessible, disrupting public access to online services. Italy’s national cybersecurity agency confirmed the incident, attributing the disruptions to a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack—a technique where attackers overwhelm networks with excessive data traffic to cause operational paralysis. The pro-Russian hacker collective Noname057(16) publicly claimed responsibility for the cyber assault through a Telegram post, framing it as retaliation against Italian "Russophobes" and characterizing the attack as a "well deserved cyber response." The group’s statement aligned with geopolitical tensions, though Italian authorities did not independently verify the claim’s authenticity at the initial stage.
The Italian cybersecurity agency responded by providing immediate technical assistance to the affected institutions and private entities, including SEA, the company managing Milan’s airports. Agency personnel mitigated the attack’s impact within two hours, restoring normal website functionality without prolonged downtime. SEA confirmed that airport operations, including flight schedules at Linate and Malpensa, remained unaffected despite the temporary website outages; travelers accessed real-time flight information through functioning mobile applications during the incident. No data breaches, system compromises, or secondary disruptions were reported beyond the temporary unavailability of the targeted websites. The cybersecurity agency’s spokesperson emphasized the containment’s effectiveness but did not disclose specific defensive measures or long-term forensic findings.