LockBit ransomware gang claims it ransacked Italy’s tax agency

The LockBit ransomware crew is claiming to have stolen 78GB of data from Italy's tax agency and is threatening to leak it if a ransom isn't paid by July 31. The notorious gang put a notice on its dark-web site adding the agency – the Agenzia delle Entrate – to its growing list of victims. According to LockBit, the data stolen …

[Anonymous Coward]

A good chance for Agenzia delle Entrate

They can ask tax tax evaders to pay the ransom to avoid Lockbit publish the documentation about how little taxes they pay....

[Pascal Monett]

"the company found no signs of a cyberattack or a data breach"

Of course not.

It's Italy.

They wouldn't know a data breach if it bit them in the ass.

Besides, the data is probably wrong or outdated anyway.

[Anonymous Coward]

percent quarter-over-quarter increase

Interesting times where hacks list the market share and increase/decrease quarter over quarter financial figures for ransomwares gangs.

So, now, they're mainstream businesses ?

[seven of five]

Re: percent quarter-over-quarter increase

Next step will be a ransom crew infecting their rivals.

[newspuppy]

Is this really a DISASTER?

I have heard routine reports that people submit such false information to the Italian tax police.. that the tax police can simply recreate the data by using a random number generator to generate minimum amounts of income for payment of tax...

Do the audits of course.. randomly, and nothing will have changed...

Or am I just brainwashed by stories.....?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Is this really a DISASTER?

You've got it partially.

Tax evasion is high in Italy. Some political parties actively try to obtain evaders votes by promising tax amnesties - many were done in the past, and they are doing it right now. They like to call them "fiscal peace" now - not surprisingly they are the same who like Putin's "peace".

There is a "minimum tax" law - called "Studi di settore" which used an algorithm to compute your minimum income based on activity (the "sector"), location, etc. etc. Those algorithms got a lot of criticism (like UK IRS35, for the matter).

Reporting an income below the "study" requires you to explain it. So they are quite useless to get those who stay just above the minimum, no matter how much they evade.

There's also corruption in the tax agency and in the specialized "tax police" (although it's even part of the Army) - called "Guardia di Finanza".

[Anonymous Coward]

No useful data there

This is a true story: During COVID Italy gave money to struggling businesses. They gave me 1200 euros. Now they want me to tell them how much they gave me and when, otherwise I'll get a huge fine. Are they kidding me? They gave me money, and they don't know (or pretende they don't know) and ask me to tell them? This is how Italy works. So, no problem, that data will be useless.

Also I'm quite sure that someone il lying here, and that's not the ransomware gang. The Agenzia Delle Entrate tells us that SOGEI told them that there has been no breach, and this is a lie. We just don't know if it's the Agenzia Delle Entrate or SOGEI (of both) that are lying. The probably know there was a breach and are downplaying it.

In a week we'll see: If the data are published on the dark web, then they did not pay the ransom and of course the government will tell us that "no private data has been leaked, get over it". If nothing is published, then they have paid the ransom but they will never admit it.

Now if it was a private business that lost these data, the government would have been all over it, with fines, public shaming, trials, and so on.