Signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Directorate for Security and Civil Protection Services of the Governatorate of the Vatican City State and the Agency for National Cybersecurity of the Italian Republic

The Directorate of Security and Civil Protection Services of the Governatorate of the Vatican City State and the Agency for National Cybersecurity of the Italian Republic (ACN) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the exchange of information, Training activities and cyber security projects to enhance technical and scientific skills and expertise in the prevention of cyber-crime risk.

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding took place on Thursday afternoon, 18 July, in the Palace of the Italian Embassy to the Holy See. The agreement was signed by the Director of the Governatorate’s Directorate for Security and Civil Protection Services, Gianluca Gauzzi Broccoletti, for the Vatican City State, and by the Director General of the National Cyber Security Agency, Bruno Frattasi, for Italy.

The agreement aims to promote greater cooperation in the development of training programmes in the field of cybersecurity and possible research projects aimed at strengthening knowledge and enhancing technical and scientific skills and expertise on Issues of cyber security. But also in the exchange of information, good practices, experiences and procedures in the field of cyber security to ensure the protection of cyber space.

The Joint Planning Cyber Cooperation Group is also being established, which may also be extended to include academics and scientists.

Among the present, Sister Raffaella Petrini, and the lawyer Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi, respectively Secretary General and Vice-General Secretary of the Governorate, and the Ambassador of the Italian Republic to the Holy See, Francesco Di Nitto.

Following is the speech of Sister Raffaella Petrini:

GREETING OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE GOVERNMENT, ON THE OCCASION OF THE SIGNING OF THE PROTOCOL OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE DIRECTORATE FOR SECURITY AND CIVIL PROTECTION SERVICES OF THE GOVERNMENT AND THE NATIONAL CYBERSECURITY AGENCY OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC

18 July 2024, Embassy of Italy to the Holy See, Rome

Greeting, first of all, His Excellency, Ambassador Francesco Di Nitto,

the Director General of the National Agency for Cybersecurity of the Italian Republic, the Prefect, Dr. Bruno Frattasi, Mr Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi, Deputy Secretary General of the Governorate, and Engineer Gianluca Gauzzi Broccoletti, Director of the Directorate for Security and Civil Protection Services of the Governorate,

I offer a cordial greeting and thanks also to all of you gathered here for this moment of great importance.

We are grateful to His Excellency Di Nitto for the welcome given us in the splendid setting of the Palazzo Borromeo, which hosts the Embassy of Italy to the Holy See.

We are about to sign a Memorandum of Understanding confirming the excellent relations that have existed for some time now between the Holy See and Italy.

This is an agreement that aims to lay the foundations for an ever closer collaboration between the Directorate of Security and Civil Protection Services of the Governorate and the National Cybersecurity Agency of the Italian Republic.

This is in line with the shared efforts that our Administrations are making to counter the growing threats that are emerging at international level. There is no doubt that cyber attacks targeting the world’s computing reality will increase worldwide, both in terms of quantity and increasing aggressiveness.

Our common objective is to give users the opportunity to use with greater confidence digital tools which, if developed for the service of the person, such as information and educational tools, are able to significantly improve their quality of life, both personal and professional.

It is therefore essential to protect the cyber space in order to combat cybercrime and the dangerous distortions that may occur against the dignity of the person, including children.

As also recalled by Pope Francis, "the freedom and protection of privacy of individuals are precious goods, called to harmonize with the common good of society"[1].

For this reason, the Authorities are called to use appropriate legislative and operational instruments that allow, in full respect of the law, to combat those criminal activities that harm human life at all levels.

Even within the Vatican City State, we are convinced that attention and prevention in the field of technology and cybersecurity is of equal importance to the attention devoted to surveillance on the ground.

In this context, we are confident that the exchange of information and closer collaboration between our Directorate and the Italian National Cybersecurity Agency will make a significant contribution to cyber threat protection, Thus ensuring a more secure communication environment, including through easier access to electronic evidence, encryption and data retention.

Once again I thank you all personally and the thanks of the President of the Governorate, Card. Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, hoping that this renewed technical and operational cooperation will lead to an effective approach to the current and future challenges of crime in the digital world, while at the same time promoting the proper use of technological tools, positive fruit of the creativity and intelligence of the human being.

[1] Francis, Address of the Holy Father Francis to the Participants in the Congress "Child Dignity In The Digital World", 14th November 2019.