Italy hackers targeted data on top business, political leaders

By Daniele Lepido and Antonio Vanuzzo

Italy was reeling Monday from a weekend of revelations on hacking of a national security database, bringing to light attempts to dig up sensitive information on high-profile individuals in the business and political arenas.

A senior member of the Senate and a former prime minister were among the politicians targeted by hackers hired to dig up sensitive information, daily Corriere della Sera reported.

Prosecutors in Milan said on Saturday that police had made a series of arrests in connection with private investigators who offered clients information stolen from national security databases.

Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio, Essilor Luxottica SA’s strategy chief and head of its Ray-Ban brand, is among those being investigated, according to a prosecutors’ document seen by Bloomberg.

Media reports claim that Del Vecchio, son of the eyewear group’s founder, hired investigators for information on primarily personal matters.

EssilorLuxottica said Sunday that “Leonardo Maria is doing a great job in his role at EssilorLuxottica and he has our full support in this difficult moment.” Del Vecchio, whose family’s Delfin Sarl is the top shareholder in EssilorLuxottica, is an aggrieved party in the case, according to his lawyer.

Banker Matteo Arpe, who was once chief executive officer of lender Capitalia and a Banca Profilo board member, is also those under investigation, according to the document.

A lawyer for Arpe said his client was “surprised” by the allegations, given that the situation relates to a private family matter. Arpe is fully cooperating with authorities, the lawyer said.

Milan-based Banca Profilo said in a statement that it had hired the Equalize Srl firm to handle professional and legal investigative services. The bank is cooperating with authorities, it said.

The private investigators were hired by clients in search of sensitive information, and allegedly employed hackers and individuals linked to police to extract it illegally, according to the prosecutors.