The prosecutor of Naples, Nicola Gratteri, uncovered a criminal network that sold confidential data of footballers, businesspeople, and artists. Two police officers made 730,000 unauthorized accesses to databases in two years, using their passwords to extract information and sell it to external agencies. They charged between 6 and 25 euros per query, according to a price list detailed in an Excel file. The investigation also implicates employees of INPS, the Tax Agency, and two directors of Italian Post.
Data security: human failures and uncontrolled access 🔒
The case reveals a critical vulnerability in systems that should be secure. The officers used legitimate credentials to access official databases for two years without being detected. An Excel file contained the price list: from basic data for 6 euros to sensitive information for 25. The network included officials from Poste Italiane, INPS, and the Tax Agency, suggesting that data protection depends more on individual ethics than on robust technical controls. No alerts were implemented for anomalous access patterns.
The Excel that was worth more than any database 📊
Modern criminals no longer use crowbars or lock picks. Now they use a well-organized Excel sheet and a couple of borrowed credentials. Two officers became data entrepreneurs: they sold the private lives of celebrities like someone selling gum at a kiosk. And the best part is they had a price list clearer than a pizzeria's: 6 euros for a name, 25 for a full history. Next time a footballer complains about having their phone stolen, maybe they should check who has their number on the state payroll.