Italy’s Alto Calore Servizi SpA confirms a ransomware attack

Alto Calore Servizi SpA, an Italian drinking water provider, has experienced technical issues after a ransomware attack. The cyberattack might have affected about half a million people.

This government-owned company operates the collection, supply, and distribution of drinking water for more than a hundred municipalities in a couple of provinces in Italy. Moreover, this company is also responsible for managing sewage and purification services for Benevento and Avellino.

 

The recent hack prevented Alto Calore Servizi SpA from running its standard operations.

 

According to reports, Alto Calore Servizi SpA manages nearly 60 million cubic meters of water annually. Still, a recent cybercriminal activity has obstructed their operations since it struck the company’s IT systems.

The company immediately disclosed the incident and apologised to its consumers after discovering the attack. The company also added that the press bodies would be part of restoring their system.

The company has yet to disclose additional details of the incident, but it appears to be on an ongoing investigation of the attack.

In a related incident, the Medusa ransomware group claimed the attack on a water company and asked the infected entity for a ransom. The notorious ransomware group has given samples of the stolen data and offered the company an extension if they could provide $10,000. Furthermore, the group also proposed that the company pay them $100,000 to delete all the stolen data.

The confirmed stolen information in the attack includes customer data, reports, pipe distribution details, contracts, expansion documents, and minutes from board meetings. The impacted water supply company has also refrained from releasing hack details.

Italy has already suffered multiple ransomware attacks this year and last year. Last year’s LockBit ransomware campaign has impacted the country’s tax agency. Cybercriminal activity also affected Italy’s electricity market in September last year.

The attack against Italian organisations and firms is an alarming issue the country has faced for over a year. Companies should be more vigilant and constantly audit their systems to avoid these threats.

Cybersecurity experts suggest that organisations worldwide should employ layered security to mitigate the chances of infection against cyberattacks.