ACN's NEW HEADQUARTERS
Functionalisation of new headquarters for the National Cybersecurity Agency (NCA)
Implementations progress on ACN, officially established on 4 August 2021[1], and Hitrac's involvement in the functionalisation and development of the new headquarters.
The creation of an ad hoc headquarters for ACN, fully operational since 6 August 2021, is a direct consequence of the important tasks entrusted to it, as well as the human, technical and financial resources required to fulfil them. The agency now has around 300 staff members - which will grow to more than 800 in the coming years - and a budget of 620 million euros.
Fabrizio Mainas, President of Hitrac, said: "Being called upon to play such an important and delicate role is a source of great pride, and demonstrates Hitrac's leadership in the critical infrastructure sector. Italy is suffering from a digital gap that it must bridge as quickly as possible. The PNRR allocates about 60 billion to digital transition, or 27% of the total budget. This is an unprecedented opportunity that the country must seize to it's full potential. In this regard, the operativity of the Cybersecurity Agency is a central factor in accelerating and guaranteeing the digital transition".
The establishment of a special Agency, provided for by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), has become necessary to "ensure the development and growth of the national economy, placing cybersecurity at the foundation of the digital transformation". In addition, in light of the important technological infrastructures being put in place, as well as the recent cyber attacks with systemic repercussions on national security, the need had clearly emerged to "rationalise the relevant competences, to ensure more effective coordination" in order to make the country more secure and resilient.
Given the important tasks, the Agency is established under the Presidency of the Council and placed under the direct control of COPASIR. The Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) and the Centre for Evaluation and National Certification (CVCN) have been transferred within the Agency.
Edited by Federico Nascimben, Melanie Bonafede
[1] Law no. 109 of 4 August 2021, which converts into law, with amendments, Decree Law no. 82 of 14 June 2021, containing urgent provisions on cybersecurity, the definition of the national cybersecurity architecture and the establishment of the National Cybersecurity Agency.
