The Italian oil company Eni fell victim to hackers

Italian oil giant Eni SpA has fallen “victim” of hackers, as the company’s representative announced on Wednesday, adding however that the consequences so far appear to be minor.

“Eni confirms that its internal protection systems have detected unauthorized access to the company’s network in recent days,” the company’s spokesperson said in response to a Bloomberg News query.

He added that Italy’s largest energy company is working with local authorities to assess the consequences of the attack.

Sources with knowledge of the matter, according to Bloomberg, said that Eni appears to have been hit by a ransomware attack. Ransomware is a type of malware that locks down computers and blocks access to files in exchange for a payment. However, as the agency adds, it is not clear who is responsible for the breach of the Italian energy giant’s systems.

“Ransomware groups know that to ensure continuity of services energy companies may be willing to pay large ransoms in exchange for unlocking affected systems,” Mirko Gatto, CEO at Italian cybersecurity firm Yarix, said in a telephone interview. .

Earlier this week, Italian energy utility Gestore dei Serviz Energetici Sp was also attacked on Sunday night and Monday morning, according to a statement. Among other things, the GSE is one of the government bodies responsible for the operation of the electricity market in Italy.

The GSE’s systems and operations are still blocked after the attack, according to a source familiar with the matter, as reported by Bloomberg. The company’s systems were breached, employees do not have access to email or internal data, and some energy market functions run by the GSEs have been suspended, the same source added.