Italy weighs state-backed cybersecurity entity to protect digital infrastructure

Italy is weighing the creation of a state-backed cybersecurity entity that could consolidate key digital-security assets and potentially pursue acquisitions to protect critical infrastructure, according to people familiar with early government deliberations.

Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), the government’s main financial arm, has been examining options to strengthen national cyber defences and could lead the initiative if Rome opts to bring strategic assets under a unified structure, the people told Bloomberg. The plans remain preliminary, and no final decisions have been made.

The initiative aligns with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s drive to expand state oversight of digital security as cyber incidents affecting public services and strategic industries rise sharply. A unified platform, officials believe, would streamline Italy’s currently fragmented mix of public and private cybersecurity capabilities and offer coordinated support to government agencies and critical companies.

The people familiar with the matter did not identify potential acquisition targets. Representatives for both the government and CDP declined to comment.

Italy’s cybersecurity landscape includes several major players handling sensitive work for public authorities and infrastructure operators.

Tinexta, a Milan-listed business-services group, provides technologies used in defence, space and national-security settings. Telecom Italia operates Telsy, an encryption specialist supplying secure communications to government agencies; CDP and the Italian state are among Telecom Italia’s key controlling shareholders.

Defence giant Leonardo also runs an extensive cybersecurity division, delivering secure communications and threat-monitoring systems for military and industrial clients.

Rome has been reassessing its approach to hybrid and cyber threats amid warnings of daily attempted intrusions. A strategic report released earlier this month by Italy’s Defence Ministry outlines plans for a more integrated national cyber architecture, improving coordination between intelligence services, the armed forces and sector regulators.

The national cyber agency reported that Italy faced nearly 2,000 cyber alerts and close to 600 confirmed attacks last year, almost double the previous year’s figure. Most incidents targeted public services, local infrastructure and telecommunications networks, illustrating the growing vulnerabilities created by rapid digitalisation.

By Sabina Mammadli