Italy’s Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, said on Saturday that his personal data had been published on the dark web, the encrypted part of the internet, and that he had become the target of threats and intimidation. He announced this in a social media post, following a series of false bomb threats across Europe that caused flights to be diverted, threats against the security of television broadcasters, as well as recent attacks on refrigeration systems in supermarkets and drone incursions.
Tajani is also Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister, but did not specify what type of information had been published, suggesting that the cyber threat is still ongoing. He stressed that cybercriminals have been distributing his data for days and are trying to obtain further information, exposing him and his family to new threats and intimidation.
According to him, the criminals are willing to pay to obtain other data about him and his close associates. “I will not allow them to intimidate me in any way. I will continue to work to protect my ministry and Italy, and will further strengthen ties and cooperation to protect ourselves together,” Tajani said.
He did not say who might be responsible for the cyberattack, but reiterated the Italian government’s support for Ukraine. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni blamed pro-Russian hackers for the leak of this data. In a separate statement, Meloni expressed solidarity with Tajani “following the revelations about the activities of pro-Russian hackers and the publication of personal data on the dark web”.
She described the attempts to sell confidential information about government officials as “a matter of great concern, which must be addressed with the utmost determination”. This development comes after a series of other incidents, including the false bomb threats that led to flights being diverted, threats against the security of television broadcasters, attacks on refrigeration systems in supermarkets and drone incursions.
Tajani did not provide further details about the nature of the published data, but stressed that the threat continues and that he will keep working to protect the ministry and Italy, strengthening cooperation to protect ourselves together.