Hackers breach Venice flood pump system, warn of flood risk

Hackers claimed they had gained administrative access to Venice’s San Marco flood-pumps system, threatening to disable defenses and flood coastal areas, in a breach that began in late March and saw evidence and system layouts released by early April.

The attackers, operating under the names “Infrastructure Destruction Squad” or “Dark Engine,” announced the intrusion on their Telegram channel in Chinese, stating they had taken full control of the SISTEMA DI RIDUZIONE RISCHIO ALLAGAMENTO belonging to Italy’s Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport. They said they could “disable defenses and flood coastal areas” and even offered full root access for sale at 600 USD, underscoring both the severity of the breach and a low barrier to misuse.

Authorities confirmed that critical protections for the Basilica di San Marco remained unaffected, but the incident highlighted how OT systems can be probed, accessed, and potentially manipulated, with the broader warning that security must be embedded from the design stage.

According to Security Affairs, the breach illustrates a shift in motive from financial gain to demonstration and disruption, emphasising the need for controlled access, strong authentication, and IT–OT segmentation to safeguard critical infrastructure.