Italy is rapidly asserting itself as a key player in the evolving digital frontier, unveiling bold plans for a national cyber army while its digital content creation sector surges to new economic heights. Both developments, announced and analyzed in the latter half of 2025, signal a country determined to safeguard its digital sovereignty and harness the economic potential of emerging technologies.
On October 17, 2025, Italian Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto made headlines at the Comolake digital forum by detailing the government’s vision for a dedicated cyber army. This new force, comprising between 1,200 and 1,500 highly trained personnel, is designed to operate around the clock—24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year. According to Fanpage, Crosetto emphasized that this unit will not only defend Italy in the digital realm, but also act as a deterrent to would-be attackers, aligning cyber defense with traditional domains like land, sea, air, and space.
"The cyber dimension is now the operational domain of security, alongside land, sea, air, and space. Defending it requires delicate, constant, and integrated capabilities. This is where the idea of a national Cyber Force takes shape, with both civilian and military components capable of operating 24/7, 365 days a year," Crosetto stated during the forum.
The urgency behind this initiative is rooted in real and present dangers. Back in January 2025, Crosetto had already sounded the alarm in an address to the Chamber of Deputies, warning that Italy was under persistent cyber attack and was not yet adequately prepared to respond. The situation reached a turning point in June 2025, when the Ministry of Defense formalized an agreement with the National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN). This partnership established a Defense Liaison Structure, designed to foster institutional collaboration and coordinate prevention and response to digital threats across the country.
The move is part of a wider European trend. France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have all been ramping up their cyber defense capabilities in recent years, responding to an uptick in hybrid threats—blending digital attacks, disinformation campaigns, and even infrastructure sabotage. As Fanpage notes, the technological and geopolitical spheres are now inextricably linked, making robust cyber defenses a matter of national and continental security.
Italy’s cyber army is envisioned as a fully autonomous and effective unit, integrating advanced technical skills, digital intelligence, immediate response abilities, and operational resilience. The plan is to combine the expertise of both civilian and military specialists, creating a force that can protect critical infrastructure and the nation’s digital backbone. Crosetto elaborated, "This force must combine advanced technical skills, digital intelligence, immediate response capabilities, and operational resilience." He also stressed the importance of continuous training for both civilian and military experts, ensuring that Italy retains and develops the talent needed for a secure digital future.
Existing military units already provide a foundation for this new structure. The 9th Cyber Security Regiment "Rombo" specializes in defending military networks and supporting critical infrastructure. The Army’s C4 Command manages networks, communications, and IT systems, handling incident response and interoperability with other commands. The Tactical Information Brigade brings together electronic warfare, data collection, and tactical intelligence—key assets for any modern cyber defense force.
Crosetto sees the cyber army as a strategic pillar of national defense, one that goes beyond military might. "We need intelligent defense, based on scientific research, responsible industrial development, and strategic alliances that can support Europe on its path to true technological autonomy. Security must not be only military, but also digital, economic, and cognitive, capable of ensuring the resilience of institutions and the trust of citizens," he stated. In his view, ethical innovation and strategic sharing of knowledge are essential to transforming technology into a public good that supports stability, growth, and quality of life.
While Italy fortifies its digital defenses, another revolution is quietly reshaping the country’s economy: the rise of digital content creators. According to a study commissioned by Digitalmeet and conducted by Infocamere with the University of Padua, over 25,000 enterprises in Italy were engaged in digital content creation in 2024, generating a staggering 21.5 billion euros in revenue. This figure, reported by Il Mattino di Padova, amounts to nearly half the total output of Italy’s entire agricultural sector for the same year.
The sector is divided into two main groups: roughly 16,000 "core" enterprises focused primarily on content creation, which earned 16.8 billion euros, and about 9,500 "hybrid" enterprises that integrate content creation as a strategic business component, contributing 4.7 billion euros. The growth trajectory is impressive—total revenues rose from 11.2 billion euros in 2015 to 21.5 billion in 2024, with a particularly sharp increase in the past three years.
Geographically, the North East of Italy lags behind, hosting only 15.1% of these enterprises, compared to 30.2% in the North West and higher proportions in the Center and South. The sector’s dynamism is largely driven by young entrepreneurs, who are leveraging new technologies—especially artificial intelligence—to streamline content production and reach wider audiences.
Paolo Ghezzi, director of Infocamere, explained, "We selected not only the companies that make digital content creation their business, but also those that use these tools as a strategic lever to tell their story." He highlighted the innovative nature of the sector, noting that these businesses are generally younger and managed by younger administrators than their counterparts in other industries.
Paolo Gubitta, professor at the University of Padua and member of Digitalmeet’s scientific board, addressed lingering stereotypes about digital creators. "Too often, we see young people who supposedly don’t want to work. But the reality is that these individuals turn their skills into services that meet real needs and generate value. They do so with just their skills and little else: these are often small businesses, with very low expenses and minimal capital requirements. Even though they’re widespread and potentially resilient, small isn’t always beautiful. The country’s leadership, at every level, should provide the support needed to help these businesses evolve toward more structured horizons."
The technological backbone of this sector is not without its challenges. Professor Alessandro Sperduti of the University of Padua pointed out, "AI has certainly been a growth lever for this sector. Part of the speed and volume of production is undoubtedly facilitated by the use, hopefully intelligent and careful, of these technologies. But AI doesn’t create in the true sense; it reworks existing content statistically. When the internet is saturated with artificial content, there’s a real risk of a slowdown in the development of original products. That’s a serious risk these companies—and the rest of humanity—will have to face."
Italy’s dual push—building a formidable cyber defense while nurturing a thriving digital content economy—reflects a nation at the crossroads of innovation and security. As the digital landscape grows ever more complex, the country’s ability to adapt, protect, and create will determine its place in the global digital order.
