Italy’s foreign ministry came under cyberattack in 2016: source

Italy's Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni holds a press conference with his counterpart from Britain Theresa May (not shown) at Number 10 Downing Street in London, February 9, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville

ROME: Italy's foreign ministry was hacked last year, a source close to the department said, confirming a report in the Guardian newspaper which also said Russia was suspected of perpetrating the attack. 

Last spring, hackers got into data systems at the ministry, which was then headed by now-Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni. The attacks carried on for more than four months but did not gain access to classified information, the paper said.