Sky TG241 hour agoTech2 min readItaly

Hacker attack on the Farnesina: "Effects mitigated by protection systems"

Quick Look

The website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was the subject of a DDoS attack attributed to the pro-Russian group Noname057(16), contained by defense systems without interruption of services.
Postal Police and the National Cybersecurity Agency intervened.
Minister Tajani underlined the importance of cybersecurity in the reform of the Farnesina.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

The attack occurs in the context of growing cyber threats attributed to pro-Russian groups, following the approval last year of the Farnesina reform which includes the strengthening of prevention, monitoring and response capabilities to cyber threats.

Font size

The action, attributed to the pro-Russian group Noname057(16), was contained by the protection systems. Postal Police and National Cybersecurity Agency activated

Since this morning, the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been the target of a cyber attack which, according to reports from the Farnesina, has so far been contained without causing interruptions to services. The ministry explained that the situation is constantly monitored in collaboration with the National Strategic Pole and the competent authorities.

Pro-Russian hackers were behind the action

According to what we learn, the attack could be traced back to the pro-Russian group Noname057(16). The action would have been carried out through the Dd0s (Distributed denial of service) technique, which aims to saturate computer systems with a high number of fake access requests to compromise operation. The defense systems, however, resisted the offensive and there were no disruptions. The Postal Police has been dealing with the incident since the early hours of this morning and the National Cybercrime Center for the protection of critical infrastructures has been activated. The National Cybersecurity Agency also took action, contacting the ministry.

Tajani: "Cybersecurity central to the reform"

"Cybersecurity is a central element of the Farnesina reform approved last year. In recent months we have strengthened our capabilities for prevention, monitoring and response to threats, adopting all the necessary countermeasures also on a technological level", underlined Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. The deputy prime minister also recalled that he had recently illustrated the activities of the Csirt Operations Room to German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul during a visit to Rome. Italy has decided to work together with Romania and other member states to include in the next European meetings proposals for the designation of actors responsible for cyber attacks, including against Italian institutions.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

Italy will continue to work with Romania and other EU member states to include in future European meetings proposals for the designation of actors responsible for cyber attacks, including against Italian institutions.
Very likely · Within weeks

Open Questions

What was the actual extent of malicious traffic directed against the ministry's systems?
Did the Noname057(16) group formally claim responsibility for the attack?
What specific technological countermeasures have been adopted by the Farnesina in recent months?