Sensible Daten im Darknet: Italiens Außenminister prangert Hacker-Angriffe an

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has been under attack from hackers who have published his sensitive personal and family data on the Darknet. In a statement on platform X, Tajani said the attacks made him face new threats and intimidation attempts, as well as extend to his family. Tajani emphasized that he would not be intimidated by these actions.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni accused pro-Russian hackers of the attacks, suspecting their support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Tajani wrote that defending a sovereign state's freedom and standing up for democracy and a nation's independence is dangerous for these criminal elements. The Italian newspaper Il Fatto Cotidiano reported that a hacker group called "NoName057(16)," believed to have connections with the Russian military intelligence service GRU, offered to sell personal data of 18 individuals for money since October 26.

Besides Tajani, the group targeted Italian Prosecutor Francesco Lo Voi, head of the postal police Ivano Gabrielli, and Aviano's mayor Paolo Tassan-Zanin. German officials were also targeted, including a Frankfurt prosecutor, Bundeskriminalamt President Holger Münch, a German journalist, and EU justice agency Eurojust President Michael Schmid.

Tajani stated that he would continue to defend his ministry and Italy while strengthening ties and cooperation with allies to protect themselves collectively. Meloni backed Tajani, declaring her full solidarity with him in the face of the revelations about pro-Russian hackers and the spread of his personal data on the Darknet. The government press office in Rome emphasized that such machinations were highly alarming and must be combated with utmost determination.