TIM Enterprise and Confindustria Emilia to train SMEs on cybersecurity

A cybersecurity training session for SMEs in the productive sector of the Emilia area and the public administration, with the aim of increasing the companies' understanding and knowledge of potential cyber threats and their possible cascading effects on the whole economy. With these objectives in mind, after the meetings in Catania, Bari, Naples and Rome, the fifth of the meetings organised in the main Italian cities by TIM Enterprise - the Group's business unit dedicated to companies, public administrations and large customers - and the local representatives of Confindustria was held today in Modena as part of the Confindustria Emilia "Associati per Associati" (members for members) initiative.

The focus is on the new European Directive on Cybersecurity (NIS 2), which even small and medium-sized Italian companies will have to comply with by next year.

The increasing digitalisation of companies and public administrations exposes the entire supply chain to risks stemming from attacks on the least cyber-secure organisations. According to data collected by the TIM Research Centre, 61% of SMEs believe they could be the target of cyber attacks, but only 32% believe they are ready to manage them. More generally, in 2023, subjects targeted by cyber attacks grew by 187%. In particular, according to TIM's cybersecurity systems, high-intensity Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks - where criminals overload websites, servers or network resources with huge amounts of malicious traffic - accounted for around 30% of total attacks, double the previous year. Italy is also the third-most affected country in Europe (and sixth in the world) in terms of the number of DDoS attacks, and the most affected EU country in terms of ransomware attacks, characterised by ransom demands.

In this situation, the provisions of the new NIS 2 Directive, which aims to raise the general level of cybersecurity in Europe, will also be applied to SMEs if they are suppliers to companies operating in certain sectors defined as critical, such as manufacturing, food, waste management, energy, transport, water and healthcare, as well as banking, finance and digital services. The measures range from risk analysis to incident management, from business continuity to supply chain and IT security. Further attention is required in relation to cyber strategies, employee training, encryption and two-factor authentication tools. Failure to comply with NIS 2 will result in significant penalties.

The event was attended by Giacomo Villano, Director of Relationships and Development of the Emilia Centro Area at Confindustria, Antonio Iannamorelli, Government Affairs Director of Telsy, TIM Cyber and Crypto Competence Centre; Davide Nardacci, Deputy Head of National Cyber Security Perimeter Division (PSNC) and National Disciplines; Alberto Pagani, UniBo Lecturer and Federcoop Cybersecurity Consultant; Patrizio Sica, Head of Cyber Engineering at Telsy; Michele Vecchione, Head of Security Offering at TIM Enterprise; Stefano Cattorini, General Director at BI-REX; Michele D'Ambrosio, Digital Adviser - Digital Policies and Supply Chains, Life Sciences and Research at Confindustria.

There were numerous first-hand accounts from key local companies: Alberto Maldino, Cybersecurity Director at Barilla Group; Elvira Oliva, Regulatory Affairs Manager, CRIF Credit Bureau; Valentino Vaia, Head of Networks and Systems Office of the Municipality of Modena - Smart City, demographic services and participation; Mario Lugli, Director of the Information Technology Service at the Modena University Hospital; Ilario Magni, Information Technology Infrastructure Manager at Comer Industries.

Modena, 6 November 2024

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