In addition to the hacker already arrested, the investigation by the Naples Prosecutor's Office has led to the identification of three additional suspects for infiltrating the computer systems of the Ministry of Justice and other companies.
During an hours-long search, the Postal Police seized several terabytes of files, taking advantage of having arrested the hacker while his computers were still running, allowing direct access and immediate decryption of the data.
The hacker, a 24-year-old Sicilian, had become a real nightmare for the Ministry of Justice.
His intrusions into servers, using an administrator account without leaving any traces, forced investigators to return to traditional investigation methods, such as the use of paper and in-person meetings, to avoid being digitally intercepted.
Considered a computer expert despite not having a college degree, the man rose through the ranks to gain administrative privileges in the national justice system, including telematic trials.
He also showed interest in some files, some of which directly concerned him, being involved in previous investigations, including one by the Brescia Prosecutor's Office, later transferred to Gela.
After receiving notifications, he began an information damage activity, initially targeting the Guardia di Finanza, and subsequently other macrosystems, to acquire personal information and other related situations.
The investigation, conducted by the computer crime pool of Naples, involved various investigative offices throughout Italy, supported by the National Anti-Mafia Directorate. The young man, originally from Sciacca (Agrigento), resident in Gela (Caltanissetta) and domiciled in Rome, worked as a programmer.
He was arrested yesterday afternoon at his home
He was arrested yesterday afternoon, before a series of searches that led to the seizure of several terabytes of data, some covered by investigative secrecy, also distributed on foreign servers.
Not only did he oust administrators, but he also drained millions of euros in bitcoin from virtual wallets abroad, the proceeds of the sale of illicit goods and services.
According to the national anti-mafia and anti-terrorism prosecutor Giovanni Melillo, present at the press conference with prosecutor Nicola Gratteri and Ivano Gabrielli, head of the Postal Police, a “serious threat” that damaged the security of the State’s infrastructure was averted. To limit the damage, we have returned to the use of paper for communications, avoiding email and WhatsApp.
The crimes contested to thehacker, which operated with four levels of encrypted anonymity, include aggravated unauthorized access to computer facilities and the distribution of malware.
With him, three other people are under investigation, and the investigations continue. The hacker had begun investigating an investigation by the Guardia di Finanza in Brescia that concerned him, also appropriating non-direct material, including investigations covered by secrecy and other secret documents.
Thanks to a malware inoculated on the PCs of 2 employees of the ministry in Naples, some confidential information was violated
Between 2022 and July 2023, he forwarded user accounts, passwords and browser history to a shared folder, thanks to malware inoculated in Naples on the PCs of two Ministry employees. The unauthorized access also occurred on the systems of large Italian companies such as TIM and Telespazio, and he modified software to facilitate his violations. There are no links to the investigation into the Perugia dossiers or to anti-terrorism investigations.
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