ROME (GeokHub) — Inside a fortified government complex near Rome’s ancient Aurelian walls, Italy’s cyber defense specialists have spent the past year tracking criminal activity across the dark web as the country prepares to secure the 2026 Winter Olympic Games against a growing wave of digital threats.
The effort is being led by Italy’s National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN), established in 2021, which views the upcoming Milano Cortina Winter Games as its first major operational test. Officials say the global spotlight surrounding the Olympics makes the event an attractive target for cybercriminals, activist hackers and state-linked threat actors alike.
The Games, scheduled for February 6 to 22, will be staged across multiple Alpine regions — a first for Italy — adding layers of complexity to an already vast digital infrastructure spanning ticketing, transport, broadcasting and venue operations.
“The Olympics are a global event,” said Gianluca Galasso, ACN’s director of cyber operations and crisis management. “With billions of viewers worldwide and over a million spectators on site, the visibility alone increases the risk. High-profile events naturally attract actors looking to make a statement.”
AI Raises the Stakes
Italy’s preparations build on recent international experience. During the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, authorities recorded more than 140 cyber incidents, including multiple breaches that allowed unauthorized access to information systems. While none disrupted competitions, the scale of activity highlighted the challenge of protecting major global events.
This time, officials say the threat landscape has evolved further — largely due to artificial intelligence.
“Cyber activity continues to grow, and now AI adds a new dimension,” Galasso said. “We expect malicious actors to deploy AI tools and automated agents to support cyber operations.”
While authorities say there is no specific imminent threat, they acknowledge the overall risk level is higher than in previous years.
Targeting Visibility and Disruption
Security planners believe the most likely attacks would focus on high-visibility services, such as live broadcasts, official websites, ticketing platforms or digital access systems.
“Attackers want media impact,” Galasso explained. “They are looking for disruption that resonates publicly, not necessarily deep system penetration.”
To counter this, ACN analysts monitor criminal forums, encrypted channels and open online platforms, looking for early indicators of hostile activity before an attack is launched.
“Our work starts well before anyone attempts to breach a system,” Galasso said. “We track what’s happening across the criminal ecosystem to anticipate threats.”
Coordinated Olympic Cyber Defense
Roughly 20 cyber intelligence specialists at ACN headquarters will focus exclusively on Olympic-related monitoring, maintaining constant contact with security teams deployed across competition venues.
In addition, 10 senior experts will be stationed in Milan to support the Technology Operations Centre, which oversees the Games’ digital systems. They will work alongside nearly 100 technology consultants and hundreds of staff from the local organising committee and partners responsible for safeguarding infrastructure across all Olympic locations.
Italian officials say the objective remains constant: early detection, rapid response, and uninterrupted competition.
“The goal is to stay ahead of threats and respond decisively whenever a real risk emerges,” Galasso said.
