Milan Bergamo Airport

Milan Bergamo Airport, also known as SACBO S.p.A., operates as a significant aviation facility located in Italy. Its primary function involves providing passenger air travel services, cargo handling, and supporting airline operations within the Lombardy region. As a key regional airport, it facilitates connections for travelers and businesses, contributing to the transportation infrastructure of northern Italy and serving markets across Europe and beyond through its airline partnerships. The airport functions as critical infrastructure within Italy's national transportation network, handling commercial flights for numerous carriers and passengers annually.

This airport gained specific cybersecurity relevance due to its inclusion in a coordinated cyberattack campaign. On May 19, 2022, Milan Bergamo Airport was among the Italian institutional and corporate entities targeted by distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks orchestrated by the pro-Russian cyber group Legion, which is loosely associated with the Killnet collective. The attacks simultaneously impacted various high-profile Italian targets, including government ministry websites, the State Police portal, the Senate, and other critical infrastructure organizations in the energy and transportation sectors. While the Foreign Affairs Ministry and High Council of the Judiciary suffered significant downtime, entities like Eni and TIM reportedly remained operational during this incident. The impact on Milan Bergamo Airport involved temporary disruptions to its online services, consistent with the pattern affecting other targeted sites like the Cultural Heritage Ministry and State Police, which experienced partial recoveries within hours. Cybersecurity experts characterized these attacks primarily as propagandistic efforts rather than sophisticated state-sponsored operations. The objective appeared to be undermining public confidence by causing visible disruptions to essential services, leveraging the high profile of targets like airports and government bodies to maximize psychological impact and media attention. This incident underscores the airport's position as part of Italy's critical national infrastructure susceptible to cyber threats aiming for broad disruption.