Inside a government building in Rome, located opposite the ancient Aurelian Walls, dozens of cybersecurity professionals have been carrying out continuous monitoring operations for nearly a year. Their work focuses on tracking suspicious discussions and coordination activity taking place across hidden corners of the internet, including underground criminal forums and dark web marketplaces. This monitoring effort forms a core part of Italy’s preparations to protect the Milano–Cortina Winter Olympic Games from cyberattacks.
The responsibility for securing the digital environment of the Games lies with Italy’s National Cybersecurity Agency, an institution formed in 2021 to centralize the country’s cyber defense strategy. The upcoming Winter Olympics represent the agency’s first large-scale international operational test. Officials view the event as a likely target for cyber threats because the Olympics attract intense global attention. Such visibility can draw a wide spectrum of malicious actors, ranging from small-scale cybercriminal groups seeking disruption or financial gain to advanced threat groups believed to have links with state interests. These actors may attempt to use the event as a platform to make political statements, associate attacks with ideological causes, or exploit broader geopolitical tensions.
The Milano–Cortina Winter Games will run from February 6 to February 22 and will be hosted across multiple Alpine regions for the first time in Olympic history. This multi-location format introduces additional security and
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