Italian Foreign Minister and railway tunnel project hit by cyberattacks

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced on Saturday that hackers had targeted him due to Italy's support for Ukraine, as reported by Euronews. On the same day, Euronews and Anadolu Ajansı both reported that the company constructing the Brenner Base Tunnel project had confirmed being hit by a cyberattack in recent weeks. [1][2]

Tajani stated in a social media post that cybercriminals had shared his personal data on the dark web over several days. He said the hackers were seeking further information, exposing him to new threats and intimidation while also targeting his family. Tajani identified Italy's stance on Ukraine as the political motive behind the cyberattack, according to Euronews. [1]

The Brenner Base Tunnel is a 55-kilometre-long railway tunnel under construction beneath the Brenner Pass in the Eastern Alps. The project connects Innsbruck in Austria to Fortezza in Italy. The construction is managed by the Brenner Base Tunnel SE joint venture, which is equally owned by Austria and Italy. [1][3][6]

The incidents follow previous security concerns across the continent. As FTMQ News reported earlier, security services previously assessed an 80 percent likelihood that Russian intelligence orchestrated recent European airline hoax bomb threats and supermarket cyberattacks. [7]