Cybersecurity: Italy under attack, booming AI and deepfake scams

In 2024, Italy recorded 357 serious cyber incidents, accounting for 10.1% of the global total. This is an alarming figure, considering that our country represents only 0.6% of the global population. Launching the alarm is Confassociazioni, which, through its Study Centre, denounces a growing cyber threat, aggravated by the increasingly unscrupulous use of artificial intelligence by criminals.

"In our country, cybersecurity is a significant threat," say Angelo Deiana, President of Confassociazioni, and Andrea Violetti, President of Confassociazioni Digital, "especially as a result of the growing spread of generative AI. Criminals are employing artificial intelligence technologies to create increasingly sophisticated fraudulent scams and emails, with an alarming growth of deepfake content, videos and audio manipulated to deceive victims'.

The report shows that cyber attacks increased by 31% in 2024, affecting all sectors indiscriminately. The health, government, military and financial sectors are particularly exposed. But suffering most, in terms of vulnerability, is the world of information and media, the target of daily attacks that undermine the integrity of the information system and fuel what experts call a 'hybrid war'.

The figures speak for themselves: around 20 serious attacks per day are recorded in the major industries alone. These include: a 36 per cent increase in DDoS attacks, which block essential online services; about 150 ransomware attacks, mainly against companies and hospitals, with ransom demands and operational interruptions; the service sector (energy, transport, banking, telecommunications) was hit by 58 per cent of the total attacks; the manufacturing sector, although less targeted, is still exposed. The only positive sign came from the banking and financial sector, where attacks decreased by 8%. A drop attributed to the effect of new European regulations (such as Dora and Nis2) and greater investment in security, especially in artificial intelligence-based technologies.

But the overall picture remains critical. "Despite progress," Deiana and Violetti conclude, "Italy remains a central target of cybercrime, affected on all fronts: citizens, businesses, and public administration. It is necessary to strengthen the governance of cyber risk and promote a true cybersecurity culture, with concrete actions involving the entire society, from the production chains to schools". This is a strong appeal that calls on politics, businesses and the world of education to make a joint commitment to bridging a gap that today plays entirely in favour of the attackers.