Alto Calore Servizi S.p.A.

Alto Calore Servizi S.p.A. is an Italian water supplier that provides potable water distribution and related services to municipalities in its operating area. The utility manages the water network, ensuring the conveyance of drinking water to end users. It oversees the installation, reading, and maintenance of customer water meters as part of its service portfolio. The company also handles billing, customer support, and responds to operational challenges such as infrastructure failures and environmental impacts on its assets.

In April 2023, a ransomware attack attributed to the Medusa group rendered Alto Calore Servizi’s IT systems unusable, disrupting operations for numerous municipalities. Although water distribution itself was reportedly unaffected, the incident prevented the utility from performing database‑related operations and providing information to customers and stakeholders. The attackers demanded a ransom and threatened to leak stolen data, including customer information, contracts, and technical documents. The scale of the disruption across many local administrations indicates that Alto Calore Servizi serves a broad geographic footprint within the Italian water sector. While specific metrics such as customer count or network length are not disclosed, the impact on numerous communities shows the utility’s reach is substantial.

Earlier in April 2023, the company reported that numerous customer water meters were damaged or ruptured due to freezing conditions affecting exposed installations. The meters most susceptible were those located externally in utility boxes or niches, as well as those situated in uninsulated or unheated premises. In response, Alto Calore Servizi advised customers that the cost for replacing meters damaged by negligence or frost would be charged to them, covering both the new meter and the labor required for installation according to the current price list. These events highlight the utility’s responsibility for managing a large meter fleet that is vulnerable to climatic extremes. As a regulated public utility organized as a joint‑stock company (S.p.A.), Alto Calore Servizi operates under Italian water sector regulations that mandate service continuity, quality standards, and consumer protection. Its core competency lies in maintaining reliable water delivery while addressing both cyber‑risk exposures and physical asset vulnerabilities. The combination of a cyber incident and a weather‑related meter failure underscores the need for integrated operational resilience in modern water utilities.