Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said hackers had shared his personal information on the dark web and sought further details about him and his family. He linked the targeting to Italy’s support for Ukraine, while a separate cyberattack was reported by the company building the Brenner Base Tunnel.
In a social media post on Saturday, Tajani said the disclosure had continued for several days. He described the activity as an effort to expose him to “new threats and intimidation” and said his position on Ukraine was the political reason he had been targeted.
Tajani did not publicly identify those responsible in the statement. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni voiced support for the foreign minister, saying the sale of confidential information about public officials was a serious concern that required a determined response. The Associated Press also reported Meloni’s response.
Brenner tunnel company reports separate incident
BBT SE, the company behind the under-construction Brenner Base Tunnel, said it was hit by a targeted cyberattack on October 17. The 55-kilometer rail link is being built between Innsbruck in Austria and Fortezza in Italy.
The company said it isolated affected systems, activated its cybersecurity procedures and brought in external specialists to conduct a forensic analysis. It also informed authorities, according to ANSA. The investigation was ongoing.
The incidents involve different targets, and no connection between them has been reported. A newspaper report cited by Euronews pointed to the hacker group Everest in the tunnel case, but the group’s responsibility had not been confirmed.