tech
March 5, 2026
Italian prosecutors confirm journalist was hacked with Paragon spyware
Italian authorities are making progress in their investigation into a wide-ranging spyware scandal in Italy involving Paragon spyware. But the mystery of who hacked two Italian journalists with Paragon spyware continues.
TL;DR
- Italian prosecutors confirmed that journalist Francesco Cancellato and activists Giuseppe Caccia and Luca Casarini were targeted by spyware.
- A technical report suggests the phones were infected in the "early hours" of December 14, 2024, possibly as part of the same campaign.
- While evidence of operations against Caccia and Casarini was found, initial judicial inspections found no evidence against Cancellato.
- The identity of Cancellato's hacker remains unclear, and the Italian government denies involvement.
- The revelation raises questions about the completeness of previous investigations by Italian authorities and parliamentary committees.
- Paragon Solutions, the maker of the spyware, has since cancelled contracts with Italian government customers.
- Other individuals, including journalist Ciro Pellegrino, were also identified as potential targets, but the technical report did not find evidence on their phones.
- Italy is the latest European country to face a spyware scandal, following similar cases in Greece, Hungary, Poland, and Spain.
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