Chinese hackers snatch personal details of 5,000 elite Italian counterterrorism officers in a stealthy cyber assault, sparking a diplomatic firestorm and exposing vulnerabilities in Rome’s defenses.
- Chinese hackers snatch personal details of 5,000 elite Italian counterterrorism officers in a stealthy cyber assault, sparking a diplomatic firestorm...
- The Chinese hack exposes data including names, roles, and postings of roughly 5,000 Digos officers from Italy’s Interior Ministry network.
- The breach announcement hits on February 18, 2026, via reports from Decode39 and other outlets.
- The audit uncovers the Chinese hack exposing data of 5,000 Italian counterterrorism officers in the Viminale infrastructure.
Keep reading for the full breakdown on Chinese hackers — everything you need to know is covered below.
The Chinese hack exposes data including names, roles, and postings of roughly 5,000 Digos officers from Italy’s Interior Ministry network.
Hackers tied to Beijing execute the intrusion between 2024 and 2025, focusing on extraction without system sabotage.
Digos officers handle counterterrorism tasks and track Chinese dissidents in Italy, making the exposed data a prime espionage target.
The breach announcement hits on February 18, 2026, via reports from Decode39 and other outlets.
Massive breach exposes Italian counterterror personnel
Italian Postal Police spot the Chinese hack through routine monitoring of Interior Ministry IT systems.
“The malicious activities were promptly detected by the Postal Police as part of routine security monitoring of the interior ministry’s IT systems,” police state in an official release.
Prosecutor Luca Tescaroli flags unusual knowledge by Chinese delegates during bilateral meetings, triggering an internal audit.
Meetings stem from a 2024 three-year pact between Minister Matteo Piantedosi and Wang Xiaohong on crime and trafficking.
The audit uncovers the Chinese hack exposing data of 5,000 Italian counterterrorism officers in the Viminale infrastructure.
“No sensitive data related to operational activities appears to have been taken,” authorities assert in their statement.
Findings pass to judicial bodies for deeper probe into the Chinese hack’s origins and methods.
Fallout from Chinese hack on Italian officers
The Chinese hack exposes data that endangers officers monitoring dissident groups and foreign communities.
Beijing’s suspected intelligence play strains ties amid ongoing probes into Chinese mafia in Prato’s textile sector.
“The discovery has temporarily frozen relations between the two countries, pending a fuller investigation into the extent and implications of the attack,” notes the detailed account.
The Chinese hack has put the safety of Italian counterterrorism agents and operational secrecy at risk. Italy is reviewing its cybersecurity measures and its cooperation with China.
The breach is linked to arson and extortion in Chinese-linked industries in Tuscany. Investigators are still probing the perpetrators, the full scope of the leak, and how the data might be used.