Ukraine crisis: from golden power to Kaspersky antivirus, Italy raises its shield

The military operation promoted by the Russian Federation against Ukraine has also increased the level of security alert in Italy. With a twofold strand: the golden power, or the special powers that can be exercised by the Government to safeguard the ownership structures of companies operating in sectors considered strategic and of national interest and the ban on Russian software, which could jeopardize the operation of the information systems of the public administration or of the institutions of the Republic, or even of the security forces. In both cases, the solutions require limited financial coverage.

The golden power dossier is definitely to the attention of the executive. On the afternoon of Wednesday 16 March a meeting was held at Palazzo Chigi. The meeting was attended by the undersecretary to the presidency of the Council Roberto Garofoli, the ministers Daniele Franco, Vittorio Colao and Giancarlo Giorgetti, the general accountant of the state Biagio Mazzotta. On the table, in fact, the theme of strengthening the golden power. Also present was the new deputy director of Dis Alessandra Guidi, the deputy director of the Agency for cybersecurity Nunzia Ciardi. A rewriting of the rules is taking place.

In particular, according to what has been learned from government sources, with regard to the Golden Power, the decree to deal with the impact of the crisis in Ukraine – expected on the table of the Council of Ministers on Friday 18 March – should bring the current field to full capacity of action, extended during the Covid pandemic by the previous executive, but also to give administrations greater control over corporate operations on 5G.

Speaking at the meeting “The Italian Policy advice: characteristics and perspectives”, organized by the National School of Administration, Garofoli explained: «Let’s think again, among the issues to be addressed, to that of golden power. At a time of very strong international tension and uncertainty, the delicate balance between the need to attract foreign capital and that of maintaining control over strategic operators in some vital economic sectors must be pursued by redefining some aspects and at the same time ensuring greater adequacy of administrative structures. in charge”.

The other side of the security coin is the software node. The elimination of the Russian Kaspersky antivirus from the PA should also enter the decree expected on Friday in the CDM. In particular, a rule is expected to allow public administrations to no longer use the Kaspersky antivirus and other Russian platforms. That we are going in that direction is also shown by what happened during a meeting between the Government and the Regions, which was attended, among others, by Minister Gelmini, Undersecretary Franco Gabrielli and Roberto Baldoni, director of the Cybersecurity Agency. On that occasion, the need for a national cybersecurity coordination was emphasized to help protect the various IT systems of the public administration of the territories to prevent hacker attacks, also in light of the international situation and the events of recent weeks in Ukraine. At the meeting, according to what has been learned, the need not to depend on Russian antivirus for systems management was also represented. A line that has been strengthened after the National Cybersecurity Agency recommended removing Russian software from Italian companies and public administration. Starting with Kaspersky antivirus, among the most used, also by ministries and law enforcement agencies.

Speaking in the Senate after the discussion on Copasir’s annual report, Undersecretary to the Prime Minister Franco Gabrielli, Delegated Authority for the Security of the Republic, explained that “the government is preparing to make a rule to allow not only the antivirus cited (Kaspersky, ed) but other IT platforms are placed outside the scope of the activity of the PA, but they are spot interventions. We have to build a resilient system.