Attacks in 2022 represent 7.6% of the total, a very high number compared to the actual population
Digital Culture in Italy: When we talk about technological marvels, such as ChatGp, we often think about the risks humans face when they discover software that can do its job in seconds instead of days. Of course, ChatGpt lacks many nuances, but the complexity that man is capable of can sometimes become an obstacle, a disadvantage. This is the case with computer security, where even the best software and protective architectures can fall in the face of incorrect behaviour by people called upon to manage a digital environment, having to defend it from external attacks.
And this scenario is well illustrated by the latest Clusit report on computer security. The data of the Italian Association for Information Security see Italy as the protagonist, in the negative, compared to the rest of Europe when it comes to network defence. During 2022, there were 56 million cyber-attacks in the Bel Paese, an increase of 25% compared to the previous year. But more than the absolute figure, it is the percentage figures compared to the global situation that is impressive: ‘Italian’ attacks represent 7.6% of the total against, to be clear, the 0.75% that should represent the nation compared to the number of citizens, a percentage between the number of attacks and possible victims. A country is, therefore, overexposed. And one of the reasons underlined during the presentation of the report is human nature: the (poorly) spread of digital skills in the population.
Digital Culture in Italy
Italy has risen in the European Desi ranking, the Index of the Digital Economy and Society drew up annually by the EU, which sees it in 18th place out of the 27 EU countries. And this is thanks to the steps forward in digitalizing public administration and creating basic infrastructures. Another figure, that of ‘human capital’, the ranking that measures the digital education of the country’s population, remains static. Here, Italy is third last in basic digital skills, possessed by 42% of the population against the European average of 56%, and fourth last for advanced ones, possessed by 22% against the European average of 31%.
On 23 March, at the National Forum in Rome, the comprehensive survey conducted by Anorc on the state of compliance of public administrations with the AgID Guidelines on the formation, management and storage of computerized documents was presented. Out of a total sample of 288 administrations, it emerged that less than 10% are fully compliant. A situation could have improved for the larger territorial bodies to the point that none of the Autonomous Provinces and Metropolitan Cities was compliant with the obligations. The current situation, based on the survey data, should certainly give us pause for thought.
There can be no economic growth for a country if policies of ‘training’ before ‘construction’ are not put into practice. So much for updating infrastructures, for the birth of startup incubation poles and centres, but if someone always clicks on that phishing email, then what was done before turns into a sandcastle, which crumbles at the first wave.
