Gli hacker puntano agli impianti: così si difendono i servizi essenziali

Cybersecurity threats are increasingly targeting essential infrastructure networks, according to a new study by the Comtel Center for Secure Communications. The report, which includes input from institutions, businesses, and universities such as Lumsa and Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, highlights the vulnerability of services such as hospitals, transportation, energy, and water.

In the first nine months of 2026, the Italian National Cybersecurity Agency detected 3,271 cyber incidents, up from 2,729 in all of 2025. Of these, 1,922 had confirmed impacts. The rise in numbers may be due in part to more accurate reporting requirements, but the real concern lies in the industrial issue. Any device that connects software and reality, such as a drone monitoring a pipeline or hospital equipment, can be compromised, transferring digital harm into the physical world.

A mistake by an operator could be as dangerous as a failed operation. The white paper cites IBM's 2026 Cost of a Data Breach Report, which shows the average global cost of a breach is $4.99 million, rising to $6.6 million in healthcare. These are average costs, not the price of each individual attack. And a single statistic does not capture the true value of delayed aid or an essential service interruption.

The solution lies in "mission critical" communications: networks designed to keep functioning during emergencies. Professional radio, private 5G, and satellite can allow technicians, plants, and operating rooms to stay connected even when a link fails. Redundancy, often seen as wasteful, becomes an investment in this context: having an alternative route when the main one is impractical.

Market studies estimate this sector is worth between $20 and $25 billion globally, with projections of $30 to $40 billion by the middle of the next decade. The boundaries here require caution. The direction is clear: service continuity fuels demand for technology and expertise. Artificial intelligence speeds up both, helping to identify anomalies and enhancing attack efficacy.

Introducing software agents in operating rooms requires establishing who controls their guidance and who is responsible for decisions. Deloitte's figure is telling: only 21% of companies report already having mature governance for these tools.