03 November 2024
The “gang” of spies who hacked into national databases also stole confidential information from Digos. The circumstance emerges from the information in the investigation documents on the dossier in Milan, the criminal association with at the top, according to the investigators, Enrico Pazzali, president of the Fiera Foundation, Cesare Gallo, the former anti-mafia super policeman, and Nunzio Samuele Calamucci, the creator of the platform to exfiltrate secret data. It is to the Equalize company, which enjoyed the trust of customers thanks to the transversal institutional relationships of the owner Pazzali, who had turned to a policeman from the Digos of Milan, convinced that he would find, also thanks to Gallo’s reputation, «confidential and qualified technicians». The officer from the Porta Ticinese police station had delivered a hard disk with work data to be repaired. The group had ensured discretion and instead looted all the contents. «Of course they are in bad shape there in Digos», Calamucci tells Gallo on 16 June 2023, «the hard disk where they saved the works doesn’t… how can you go on like this? He told me… that he’ll get a big dick if he brings this stuff up… okay… there will be some investigation that we need, right?”.
And Gallo asks to make a copy: “Of course… you take everything anyway.” A week later the policeman called Equalize, to find out if the hackers had managed to recover the data from the hard disk. «They should return it to me on the twenty-eighth!… With a copy on a flash drive, because that’s actually a mechanical failure!», explains Calamucci. «Fantastic… because there were actually things saved… a few work things», the man from Digos naively rejoices. He mocks the hacker: «Your things, in short! ». Which at that point had also become “their thing”. A large amount of confidential information added to an “infinite archive”, made up of documents collected by Gallo over the years of work, including Giulio Andreotti’s files, from Calamucci’s hard disk, which contains over 800 thousand illegally exfiltrated SDIs, and from the information «stolen» by Vincenzo De Marzio, code name «Tela», the former carabiniere who was responsible for the kidnapping of Abu Omar and who, shortly before retiring, had illegally «seized the information and IT assets » of the Anti-terrorism Section of the ROS of Milan. A flood of files that from 9 January 2024 the “Via Pattari gang” began to catalog in encrypted hard disks and move from the office. «We’re doing some cleaning… because with Carmine we’ve noticed some strange smells that we don’t like… Uncle Enri has received a threat… a stupid threat, we’ve checked, it’s all fake, but… .», Calamucci reveals to an affiliate. «This need», write the Carabinieri, «is linked to the information acquired by Pazzali on Boxing Day 2023, suggesting an interest from the AG in his person and more generally in his close collaborators».
In short, the boss would have become aware of an investigation and the hackers had set to work to make the traces disappear. The investigators immortalize them as they carry away, like busy bees, dozens of boxes full of papers, which are stored in the garage of the company secretary. A mega archive seized, together with all IT media, on the day of the DDA blitz and is now being examined by investigators. The Carabinieri, in an information from October 2022 in which there are 41 pages of omissions, also write that Gallo “has a crypto-phone with Israeli technology”. The documents also account for the presence of officials from Palazzo Chigi in the headquarters of the spies at the time of the Draghi government. «Since the beginning of the technical activity it has already been ascertained that officials from the Presidency of the Council of Ministers whose conversations were not summarized and transcribed have already visited the Equalize offices. This evidence, however, demonstrates the depth of the subjects with whom we are approaching and the web of knowledge and contacts at our disposal. At the same time it was ascertained that they have no organic role with national security apparatuses”, we read.
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**Interview with Cybersecurity Expert Dr. Marco Gallo on the Recent Hacking Scandal Involving Digos**
**Interviewer:** Good evening, Dr. Gallo. Thank you for joining us to discuss the recent scandal involving Digos and the illegal hacking activities. Can you give us an overview of what occurred?
**Dr. Marco Gallo:** Thank you for having me. The situation is deeply concerning. A group of hackers, referred to as the “Via Pattari gang,” infiltrated national databases and stole sensitive information from Digos, Italy’s domestic intelligence service. The operation was masterminded by several individuals, including notable figures with questionable backgrounds and relationships that granted them access to highly classified data.
**Interviewer:** What’s particularly alarming about this case is the involvement of former officials and the apparent ease with which they obtained sensitive materials. How did this happen?
**Dr. Marco Gallo:** Yes, it’s quite alarming. The hackers leveraged their connections and even used a police officer to assist them in recovering data from a damaged hard disk. Instead of simply repairing it, they made unauthorized copies of the information contained within, exposing confidential files that could have serious implications for national security.
**Interviewer:** It seems like a breakdown in protocol on multiple levels. What are the potential risks that arise from this breach?
**Dr. Marco Gallo:** The breaches could lead to the exposure of intelligence operations, personal information of high-profile individuals, and details of ongoing investigations. Such leaks not only threaten national security but also undermine public trust in intelligence agencies. Additionally, the risk of this information being used by criminal organizations is significant.
**Interviewer:** This also seems to reflect broader issues in cybersecurity and the protection of sensitive data. What steps should organizations take to safeguard their data?
**Dr. Marco Gallo:** Organizations must prioritize robust cybersecurity measures, including regular audits, employee training on data protection, and the use of strong encryption for sensitive files. Furthermore, it’s essential to establish strict access controls to ensure that only authorized personnel can handle confidential information.
**Interviewer:** what does this incident teach us about the intersection of law enforcement and cybersecurity?
**Dr. Marco Gallo:** It highlights the critical need for transparency and accountability within law enforcement agencies. Cybersecurity is not just a tech issue; it requires cooperation among various stakeholders, including law enforcement, governments, and the private sector. We need to create a culture of vigilance and ethical responsibility to prevent such incidents in the future.
**Interviewer:** Thank you, Dr. Gallo, for your insights. It’s crucial that we remain vigilant against the evolving threats in our digital landscape.
**Dr. Marco Gallo:** Thank you for having me. It’s an important conversation we need to keep having.
