Piantedosi shuttles between the Ministry of Services and the Ministry of Defence: the government’s anti-hacking plan

A strengthening of the most sensitive infrastructure, starting with the various branches of the public administration (particularly hospitals). But without giving in to the completely false alarms deliberately created by hackers to cause chaos. This, in a nutshell, is the line that emerged today from the Committee on Public Order and Security convened by the Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi, at the Ministry of the Interior. At the very same time, the EU has gone so far as to suggest that even household appliances could be targeted. The summit, reflecting Piantedosi’s role as a ‘mediator’, was attended not only by senior figures from the intelligence services and police forces, but also by the Chief of the Defence Staff, Luciano Portolano; the National Anti-Mafia and Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor, Giovanni Melillo; and representatives of the National Cybersecurity Agency. The Ministry of the Interior finds itself in a middle ground between the conflicting jurisdictions of Defence Minister Guido Crosetto and the Under-Secretary responsible for the intelligence services, Alfredo Mantovano, who are ‘jealous’ of one another and keen to gain room for manoeuvre.

The meeting served to provide a detailed overview of the attacks recorded in recent weeks: from the retail sector to the aviation system, including, of course, intrusions such as those into Parliament’s email system or the Anti-Mafia Investigation Directorate. More specifically, a number of operational principles were established: strengthening the coordination of IT and investigative activities – which is already in place – between law enforcement agencies, the intelligence sector, and bodies and agencies active in cyber security; greater information sharing with public and private sector operators; and, finally, investment to bolster system protection and response capabilities, thereby ensuring greater network security. A significant part of the discussion, as mentioned, centred on the reputational damage that these attacks – very often false – inflict on the bodies and institutions involved. To enhance deterrence, therefore, attention has turned to the networks and systems of the public administration. This is why, even today, the Minister for Public Administration, Paolo Zangrillo of Forza Italia, has gone so far as to call for an end to the rigid career progression structures that characterise work in the public sector: “If we need specialist skills – which are hard to find and for which the market pays a certain rate – we cannot be self-defeating and say no simply because we are the public administration. We must keep up with the times.”

On the subject of responsibilities, however, although the committee agreed to meet as frequently as the Public Order and Security Committees (i.e. on a weekly basis), no further action was taken. This is also because redefining the remit to be assigned to the Ministry of Defence will be a task that must be managed in conjunction with parliamentary proceedings (in the Chamber of Deputies, there is both a draft bill proposed by Crosetto and other texts addressing the matter, including a very specific one tabled by Forza Italia, which Under-Secretary Perego discussed with Il Foglio). This is also to establish protocols aimed at preventing interference in the election campaign and, even more so, in the vote scheduled for next year. Given that some impact has already been seen with the new campaign launched by pro-Russian groups against Tajani (“I will not be intimidated”, replied the Deputy Prime Minister). Meanwhile, the majority – Fratelli d’Italia and Forza Italia on one side and the Lega on the other – have resumed squabbling over arms supplies to Ukraine (as well as over party defections, with Senator Silvestro leaving FI to join the Lega, whilst Forza Italia’s De Rosa has left the Senate group and is looking towards Cateno De Luca), and positions remain far apart on the cybersecurity front as well. With Salvini continuing to downplay the impact of Moscow-linked agencies on the recent attacks (“Whether or not it is the Russians should be determined by the intelligence services, not by politicians”) – and with some in the centre-right suggesting that it would be problematic, in the next round, to promote him to a position of institutional ‘guarantee’ and public order such as the Ministry of the Interior.