Italy's interior minister convenes security committee on cyberattacks for Tuesday, 10 November

The convocation

Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi has called the Comitato nazionale per l'ordine e la sicurezza pubblica to the Viminale, the interior ministry in Rome, for Tuesday, 10 November. The agenda is a review of the public safety risks linked to cyberattacks and the wider cyber threat. The meeting follows a run of incidents in Italy and several other European countries that has hit businesses, companies and institutional figures. The convocation was announced on 8 November, and the committee is due to sit two days later.

Attacks under review

Hackers have gained remote access to controllers for refrigerators and freezers, changing temperatures and damaging goods in supermarkets, with some Coop and Conad stores among those affected. Incidents have been reported in Sicily, Tuscany, Emilia Romagna, Molise and Veneto. On 4 November the pro-Russian groups NoName057(16) and Zpentest claimed the cold-chain attacks in a video posted on social media, although Fanpage describes the picture as still unclear. Separately, bomb threats have targeted more than thirty flights, and investigators are pursuing a Russian lead. Data stolen from the company behind the Galleria del Brennero is linked by suspicion to the pro-Russian group Everest, which specialises in ransomware. The Veneto broadcaster Telecittà has also had its social media channels hit by a hacker attack.

Threats against officials

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has said hackers have published his personal data on the dark web and are searching for more information, including about his family. La Repubblica reports that 18 people described as enemies of Russia were listed with a cryptocurrency bounty, among them Rome's chief prosecutor Francesco Lo Voi and the head of the postal police, Ivano Gabrielli. Tajani linked the intimidation to Italy's support for Ukraine and said he would not change course. According to ANSA, Moscow has said it has no part in the matter.

“Cybercriminals have for days spread my personal data on the dark web and are seeking more information, exposing me to new threats and intimidation.”

Parliament and government response

Lorenzo Guerini, who chairs the Copasir parliamentary oversight committee for intelligence, urged caution while the country's security bodies examine the matter.

“It is under examination, our bodies are doing it, so I cannot commit myself on this point.”

Fanpage reports that the government is studying an intervention plan, with fears of an escalation of the hybrid war ahead of upcoming elections. Maurizio Gasparri, chair of the Senate Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, said a government bill reorganising military leadership and coordinating defence cyber activity is in advanced discussion. He said the committee expects to finish examining it in the week of 9 November, with floor debate and a vote planned for December.

What the meeting will examine

Piantedosi is expected to request a detailed analysis of public safety risks from the heads of intelligence and the postal police, according to La Repubblica. The committee is chaired by the interior minister, with an under-secretary as deputy chair, and includes the police chief, according to the interior ministry's website as cited by il Giornale. The latest Clusit 2026 report, cited by La Repubblica, puts almost 10 per cent of recorded cybersecurity events worldwide in Italy, a 42 per cent rise year on year. Il Giornale also reports that a hacker email promised the campaign against Europe was only beginning.