Hackers target Italy's anti-mafia agency; DIA denies data stolen
A cyberattack hit Italy's anti-mafia investigations directorate, which said hackers copied only public material already on its website.
A cyberattack hit Italy's Anti-Mafia Investigation Directorate (DIA), part of the interior ministry, several Italian media outlets reported on Monday. The DIA confirmed the attack but said hackers did not manage to remove sensitive data.
The agency said the material copied was limited to information and texts already published on its own website, according to Kathimerini and Naftemporiki, which cited Italian media. Earlier reports in Italy had suggested a possible theft of confidential files that could be linked to organised-crime investigations.
Separately, a seller using the alias "weykofa" advertised a 222-megabyte file for sale on the dark web, Italian newspaper 21 Ore reported, claiming it contained operational files, investigation documents, information on 25 organised-crime groups, correspondence with Europol and unpublished internal material. The material published so far does not confirm these claims, according to the same report.
The incident may be linked to an attempt to obtain sensitive data ahead of a meeting of European police chiefs planned for the coming days, according to Greek media citing Italian sources. In Rome, prosecutors from the anti-terrorism unit are continuing an investigation into who was behind a wave of last week that disrupted air traffic and supermarket chains in several European countries.
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What we know
- 2+ outlets · Naftemporiki, in.gr +2 A cyberattack hit Italy's Anti-Mafia Investigation Directorate (DIA), part of the interior ministry, Italian media reported on Monday.
- 1 outlet · Naftemporiki The DIA said hackers did not access sensitive data, only copying material already published on its website.
- 1 outlet · Naftemporiki A dark web seller offered a 222-megabyte file claiming to contain DIA operational and investigation files; the claims are unconfirmed.
- 1 outlet · Naftemporiki Rome prosecutors are investigating a separate wave of hybrid attacks last week that disrupted European air traffic and supermarket chains.
Not yet confirmed
- Unconfirmed Whether the dark web file actually contains DIA investigation material, as its seller claims.
- Unconfirmed Whether the DIA attack is linked to last week's hybrid attacks on European air traffic and supermarkets.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
The DIA is Italy's lead agency against organised crime, coordinating with Europol and holding files on criminal groups, so any breach of its systems, even one limited to public material, draws scrutiny. The timing, ahead of a planned meeting of European police chiefs, and Rome's parallel investigation into last week's hybrid attacks on European air traffic and supermarket chains, has put the DIA case under scrutiny as part of a wider pattern Italian authorities are investigating.
Sources
Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 1 countries.
- Naftemporiki: Ιταλία: Κυβερνοεπίθεση στη Διεύθυνση Ερευνών κατά της Μαφίας – Τι στοιχεία απέκτησαν οι χάκερ
- in.gr: Κυβερνοεπίθεση στην Ιταλία: Χάκερ έπληξαν τη Διεύθυνση Ερευνών κατά της Μαφίας
- Kathimerini: Ιταλία: Κυβερνοεπίθεση σε βάρος της υπηρεσίας κατά της Μαφίας
- Proto Thema: Χάκερ επιτέθηκαν στην υπηρεσία κατά της Μαφίας στην Ιταλία ενόψει ευρωπαϊκής αστυνομικής συνάντησης
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What happened to Italy's anti-mafia agency?
- A cyberattack hit its systems; the DIA said hackers only copied information already public on its website.
- Were sensitive investigation files stolen?
- The DIA denies it. A dark web seller claims to have DIA files for sale, but this has not been confirmed.
- Is this linked to other recent attacks in Europe?
- It may be; Italian authorities are investigating possible links to hybrid attacks that disrupted air traffic and supermarkets in several European countries last week.
This article was written with AI assistance from 4 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.