By CeSViTer Consulting June 12, 2025
In recent years, Italy’s local governments have taken significant steps toward digital transformation. Fuelled by national reforms and EU recovery funds, more and more municipalities are bringing services online. Yet as digital adoption accelerates, a critical vulnerability has emerged: cybersecurity.
A More Digital Italy—Even at the Local Level?
Digital innovation is no longer the exclusive domain of central ministries or major cities. Local governments across Italy are embracing new technologies at an unprecedented pace. The data speaks for itself:
- 91% of municipalities have implemented digital ID systems (SPID or CIE)
- 79% use the national digital payment platform PagoPA
- Over 68% of local services are integrated into the IO app
- Nearly half of local governments have digitized at least 50% of their internal processes.
Cloud adoption is also growing: 51% of municipalities use cloud infrastructure, with a rising share relying on nationally certified platforms. The 2024–2026 National ICT Strategy for the Public Sector, alongside the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), is driving the modernization effort.
The Digital Divide Has Moved… to Cybersecurity
As local governments increase their digital footprint, they also become more exposed to cyber threats. The main concern? Most public infrastructure is not yet ready to face these challenges.
- 95% of public-sector data centers at the local level do not meet minimum security and reliability standards.
- Cyberattacks against Italy’s public administration surged in 2022, accounting for 24% of all incidents reported.
- Human error remains the weakest link: more than 90% of breaches are caused by phishing, weak passwords, or mishandled data.
Simply moving services to the cloud or digitizing documents won’t cut it. Without serious investments in protection, training, and data governance, the risk only grows.
New Rules, New Tools
There have been some key developments on the cybersecurity front:
- The National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN) has established minimum cloud security requirements for public entities
- A National Cryptography Center was launched to manage sensitive data securely
- The Digital Municipalities Academy is offering cybersecurity training tailored for local public servants.
Still, there’s a large gap between policy and practice. Many municipalities face limitations in funding, skills, and institutional readiness.
What’s Really Needed?
Digitizing local government is about more than just “going online.” It requires:
- Migrating to secure and certified infrastructures;
- Providing continuous cybersecurity training for staff;
- Designing services with security and interoperability by design;
- Building a clear data governance strategy that can face today’s threats.
For many local administrations, this means a cultural transformation as much as a technical one.
Conclusion: From Efficiency to Resilience
Italy has made remarkable strides in digitizing its public services at the local level. But cybersecurity remains the missing piece—and a dangerous one to overlook. Security must be a core component of digital transformation, not an afterthought.
Citizens trust their public institutions when services work. But they also expect—and deserve—their data to be safe.