Tajani Hit by Dark Web Data Leak, Meloni Cites Pro-Russian Hackers
(MENAFN) Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Saturday that cybercriminals have dumped his personal data on the dark web and are now offering payment for more information about him and his family, a move he said leaves them open to “new threats and intimidation.”
In a post on US social media platform X, Tajani said the perpetrators had been circulating his details for days. He answered the threat head-on. “My reaction is very simple: I will not be intimidated in any way,” he said.
He tied the targeting directly to Italy’s backing of Kyiv. “Our position on Ukraine is the political reason why I have become a target.”
Tajani argued that standing up for Ukraine’s sovereignty, democracy and independence “is dangerous in the eyes of these criminal entities.”
The minister also suggested the threats were partly retaliation for cybersecurity upgrades at the Foreign Ministry over recent months. A dedicated cybersecurity directorate, created Jan. 1, was built to counter intrusions by actors “often linked in some way to state entities hostile to us.”
“We are operational and connected to our allies,” Tajani said, vowing to deepen cooperation against cyber threats.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni voiced solidarity after his remarks, condemning what she described as activities by “pro-Russian hackers.”
“I express my full solidarity with the Vice-President of the Council of Ministers, Antonio Tajani, over what has come to light regarding the activities of pro-Russian hackers and the dissemination of personal data relating to him on the dark web,” she said.
Meloni said the sale of confidential information about government officials was a matter of “serious concern” that must be tackled with the “utmost determination.”
She also denounced the spread of false images, including by members of the opposition. “Freedom of expression must never become a breeding ground for disinformation,” she added.
In a post on US social media platform X, Tajani said the perpetrators had been circulating his details for days. He answered the threat head-on. “My reaction is very simple: I will not be intimidated in any way,” he said.
He tied the targeting directly to Italy’s backing of Kyiv. “Our position on Ukraine is the political reason why I have become a target.”
Tajani argued that standing up for Ukraine’s sovereignty, democracy and independence “is dangerous in the eyes of these criminal entities.”
The minister also suggested the threats were partly retaliation for cybersecurity upgrades at the Foreign Ministry over recent months. A dedicated cybersecurity directorate, created Jan. 1, was built to counter intrusions by actors “often linked in some way to state entities hostile to us.”
“We are operational and connected to our allies,” Tajani said, vowing to deepen cooperation against cyber threats.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni voiced solidarity after his remarks, condemning what she described as activities by “pro-Russian hackers.”
“I express my full solidarity with the Vice-President of the Council of Ministers, Antonio Tajani, over what has come to light regarding the activities of pro-Russian hackers and the dissemination of personal data relating to him on the dark web,” she said.
Meloni said the sale of confidential information about government officials was a matter of “serious concern” that must be tackled with the “utmost determination.”
She also denounced the spread of false images, including by members of the opposition. “Freedom of expression must never become a breeding ground for disinformation,” she added.
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