The Ackerman Group is undertaking periodic security assessments in advance of the 2026 Winter Olympics in northern Italy, scheduled to run from 4 to 22 February.
Complicating matters from a security standpoint, the Olympic Winter Games Milano (Milan in English) and Cortina, as they officially are called, will be the first multi-location Winter Olympics and the first since 1984 to have the Opening and Closing Ceremonies held in different cities.
Sporting events will take place across the northern region of Lombardy and Northeast Italy in venues in and around: Milan, the capital of Lombardy; Valtellina, a valley in Lombardy near the border with Switzerland; the Alpine resort of Cortina close to the border with Austria; and Val di Fiemme, a valley approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of Cortina.
As with any major international event, terrorism is the chief concern. Unlike France and several other fellow European Union countries, Italy has never suffered a major organized attack by al-Qaida or Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or been plagued by primitive Islamic terrorist attacks by singletons radicalized through social media. Yet there is a small jihadist contingent among the nearly 2 million Muslims living legally and illegally in Italy, and hundreds of extremists have been arrested locally since 9/11. Meanwhile, jihadists bent on staging terrorist attacks could cross the country’s borders.
With security at Olympic venues widely expected to be tight, both sophisticated and primitive Islamic terrorists could opt to target crowds on the street or in relatively unprotected enclosed spaces such as cafes, restaurants and shopping venues. Use of drones to deliver explosives or chemical agents is conceivable.
Russia has been barred from fielding a team at the Olympics due to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It could attempt to mar the Games, most likely through cyberattacks aimed at security arrangements or public- or private-sector support for sporting competitions and people attending them. Moscow conceivably could attempt arson or other low-level sabotage by local criminals and ne’er-do-wells indirectly recruited and paid by its intelligence services.
Petty theft and scams traditionally have been less of a concern in northern Italy than in the center and south of the country but the Olympics will present an opportunity for grab and con artists. To reduce risks of low-level street crime, police will be heavily deployed with ample backing from cameras and the full range of security hardware and software. Mugging and other violent crime rates traditionally have been low in Italy, although incidents could occur, especially in isolated places or late at night.
Italy’s competent security services gained important experience protecting the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, during which there were no serious security incidents. They once again will be alert to all manner of bad actors, with extensive intelligence and tactical support from the United States and other countries, most notably France, which successfully executed a security program of unprecedented size and scope to protect the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.
To play it safe, personnel attending the Olympics should take serious precautions:
- Senior executives should be furnished with professional security escorts ideally conversant in Italian. The chief purpose of security escorts is to navigate Italy and sporting events with an eye toward terrorism and crime risks and to serve as a liaison to Italian security personnel. In the event of a serious incident in the vicinity, the judgment and actions of security escorts could prove invaluable. They need not be armed, but exceptional circumstances may warrant that option.
- All personnel should exercise commonsense precautions against petty and violent crime.
- Those in Italy during the Games should monitor the news constantly with the aim of avoiding or minimizing exposure to security incidents, cyberattacks, protests and other disruptive events.
- Corporations should ensure that crisis management team members are prepared to respond immediately to and handle Olympics-related incidents.
Games Overview
The Olympic torch relay began on 26 November with the flame lighting in Olympia, Greece. The route includes 60 stops in all 110 provinces of Italy.
The Opening Ceremony will take place on 6 February in San Siro Stadium in Milan and the Closing Ceremony will take place on 22 February in Verona Arena, 166 kilometers (103 miles) away.
The Games will involve 3,500 athletes from 93 countries competing in 116 medal events in 16 disciplines.
Events will take place across a bigger area than any previous Olympics.
The Paralympic Winter Games open on 6 March with a ceremony in Verona and close on 15 March with a ceremony in Cortina. They include 79 medal events in six disciplines.
Terrorism Concerns
Italy has not experienced a serious Islamic terrorist attack since 9/11. But as the seat of the Roman Catholic Church and cradle of the Western civilization that jihadists revile, it is a natural target.
There is a small jihadist contingent among the 1.8 million Muslims living legally and illegally in Italy. At least 65 Muslim citizens and residents traveled to Syria to wage jihad in the 2010s, some with ISIS.
Some 300 foreign Islamic militant suspects have been deported from Italy since 2015. They have been put on flights abroad and barred from returning.
Local Islamic extremists continue to be arrested, with security forces likely to take no chances with particularly suspicious characters ahead of the Olympics.
Unlike France, Germany and Britain, Italy has not suffered from primitive terrorism by singleton jihadists radicalized through social media.
But there have been worrisome cases.
A minor who allegedly was planning a crude bombing on behalf of ISIS was arrested on 26 May 2023.
He was said to be an Italian citizen of foreign origin who planned to strike near his residence in the northern province of Bergamo.
Officials said he had been under surveillance and was linked to a network of young ISIS supporters elsewhere in Europe and in the US.
They said he quickly became radicalized and posted ISIS propaganda online while planning an attack with explosives.
The youth possessed videos of ISIS executions, weapons manuals and bomb-building instructions at the time of his arrest.
It would seem he was arrested well before he was ready to strike.
The complete military defeat of ISIS in Syria and Iraq in the late 2010s greatly reduced prospects of the savage jihadist network orchestrating sophisticated terrorist attacks in Europe.
But Italian intelligence and security services and their foreign partners remain alert for ISIS operatives.
A citizen of Tajikistan suspected of being an active member of the ISIS branch behind a massacre of concertgoers in Russia was arrested on 8 April 2024 at Rome’s Fiumicino airport upon arrival on a flight from Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
The man was subject to an international arrest warrant for terrorism-related crimes.
An Italian police statement did not say which country issued the warrant but noted that the suspect used several fake identities, including from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine.
The statement said he was born in 1992 and had waged jihad in Syria with ISIS.
In the attack in Moscow, four camouflage-clad operatives of ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) on 22 March 2024 burst into a 6,200-seat hall minutes before a well-known Russian rock band was to perform. They randomly fired assault rifles and ignited a devastating fire with explosives, killing at least 139 people and injuring nearly 200.
Video of the attack indicated that the assailants were trained terrorists rather than amateurs radicalized through social media.
Russian authorities the following day reported 11 arrests, including of four migrant workers from Tajikistan in former Soviet Central Asia who were said to have carried out the attack.
ISIS-K, which is based in Afghanistan and Pakistan, claimed credit. The group has staged major bombing and shooting attacks in those countries and in Iran and had vowed to strike Russia for its military assistance to former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s war against ISIS remnants.
A number of relatively inexperienced ISIS-K operatives were arrested in Western Europe in 2023 and 2024, raising concerns of sophisticated attacks in the future.
Largely with ISIS-K in mind, the Italian Interior Ministry elevated security around Holy Week observances leading up to Easter on 31 March 2024. Surveillance and checks were more elevated than usual at cathedrals, transportation hubs and other places drawing large numbers of worshippers.
Personnel attending the Winter Olympics should be cognizant of Islamic terrorism risks. They should stay alert in public. To the extent practical, they should avoid entering enclosed places open to the public that lack visible security.
Russian Subversion
Senior French officials said that Russia targeted the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, primarily through misinformation online and in social media but also through hacking of groups that organized the Games.
Russia is certain to use its troll army in an attempt to undermine the integrity of the 2026 Winter Olympics.
It could stage cyberattacks against the Italian government and security forces as well as the International Olympic Committee and national Olympic teams. Cyberattacks aimed at interfering with ticketing or sporting events themselves are less likely but cannot be ruled out. Cyberattacks targeting private-sector support for the Games are conceivable.
The GRU Russian military intelligence service in the past couple of years has sharply escalated its hiring and payment through indirect channels of small-time criminals and ne’er-do-wells to carry out arson and vandalism in Western Europe, mostly against individuals or entities that oppose the Kremlin or support Ukraine.
Russia historically has placed enormous value on the Olympics and certainly will field teams again after its war in Ukraine ends. It therefore is likely to pull its punches in targeting the 2026 Winter Games.
Other rogue countries, criminals, hardcore activists and malcontents also could stage cyberattacks against the Games.
Corporations and banks sponsoring, supporting or attending the Games should redouble cybersecurity and be alert for social media or other misinformation.
Radicals
Investigators believe anarchists were behind a bomb threat that halted high-speed train service between Florence and Bologna for over four hours on the evening of 8 August 2023.
A train conductor noticed suspicious people in a tunnel about the same time an anonymous caller told authorities there was a bomb in that tunnel.
Immediately after capturing images of several unidentified persons, surveillance cameras in the tunnel were disabled.
A search yielded no bombs.
Hours before the anonymous call was made, nine anarchists were arrested in Genoa and other northern cities as part of an investigation into instigation of and support for terrorism. According to Italian media, the arrest warrant cited writings of the suspects including calls for attacks on targets linked to weapons manufacturing and sales.
Several of the nine were placed under house arrest, and others were ordered to sign in regularly at a police station.
The 8 August 2023 incident inconvenienced thousands of travelers.
On the day of the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, coordinated arson attacks were staged against signal boxes on three lines of France’s high-speed railway system, widely disrupting domestic and international trains, with about 800,000 passengers affected.
There never have been arrests or a claim of responsibility, but ultra-leftists or anarchists widely are considered to have been responsible.
Although they have been relatively quiet in recent years, Italian anarchist and ultra-leftist militants occasionally have detonated crude bombs outside banks, government buildings and other supposed symbols of capitalism and authority.
Similar acts targeting mass transportation or other infrastructure are possible before or during the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Italian anarchists have staged parcel- and letter-bombing campaigns against corporate, banking and governmental targets in this century.
In a particularly serious incident, the Informal Anarchist Federation (Italian acronym: FAI) claimed credit for the 7 May 2012 kneecapping of Roberto Adinolfi, the CEO of Italian nuclear power company Ansaldo Nucleare. He was shot at 0830 as he emerged from his Genoa home by a gunman riding pillion on a motorcycle. The bullet fractured his right leg.
Multinationals should familiarize themselves with the activist scene in Italy and take appropriate precautions. Prominent executives in controversial industries should practice good security, varying their patterns and keeping a sharp eye out for surveillances. Especially high-profile individuals may require protective teams.
Protests
Street protests occur regularly in Italy and occasionally turn violent.
The Winter Olympics present a publicity opportunity for activist groups, with more extreme ones possibly defying demonstration bans in the vicinity of the Games.
Personnel should give wide berth to all demonstrations and seek indoor shelter if violence erupts nearby.
Strikes
Highly disruptive strikes are a staple in Italy. They sometimes affect urban public transportation, inter-city trains and commercial flights.
The organized labor front should be monitored to avoid inconveniences caused by strikes.
Violent Crime
Mugging and other forms of violent crime are not common in Italy, but incidents do occur.
What mugging risks there are can be reduced significantly by avoiding empty parks and side streets, giving wide berth to menacing characters and steering clear of marginal neighborhoods. After sunset, pedestrian activity should be limited to well-beaten paths in affluent areas.
Pickpockets
The main concern for foreigners is petty theft. Pickpockets in Italian cities long have been renowned for their quick hands and wide array of tactics.
Risks are highest at tourist attractions, aboard and near public transportation and in shopping venues. But no place is immune.
Perpetrators usually work in small teams, with one member making the grab while a confederate or two stage a distraction. Perhaps the simplest and most effective distraction is a bump. Other standards include asking for the time, pulling out a map and asking for directions, throwing change on the ground, spilling food or drink and staging an argument or fight.
In many instances, grab artists use razor blades or other cutting instruments to slash their way into bags, coat pockets and even pants pockets. In some cases, straps are cut and entire bags or cameras taken.
When a wallet, electronic device, passport or other valuable is snatched, it almost immediately is handed off to yet another member of the team. To further cover their tracks, thieves walk or run away in different directions.
Victims usually have no idea anything has been taken from them until minutes or even hours later. Typically, they have trouble reconstructing how the theft might have taken place.
It is not unusual for thieves to offer to help with luggage outside hotels and then disappear with the luggage.
Petty theft risks can be reduced through commonsense precautions. It is imperative to be alert at all times. Concealment devices for cash and credit cards are strongly recommended. Short of using a concealment device, personnel should distribute cash, credit cards, passports and other valuables in multiple pockets on the front of the body. Pockets that zip or button are optimal. Eye-catching jewelry should not be worn in the general public. Those who must wear expensive jewelry and watches should keep them concealed under clothing. Belt packs may be utilized as long as they are fastened tightly with the pouch positioned against the abdomen. Women should carry only small purses, clutching them near the waist. Mobile phones, shopping bags, briefcases and other accoutrements should be kept in hand, or at least in sight and in reach, at all times. When original passports are not needed, photocopies of key pages should be carried (the latter are sufficient ID for police unless driving).
Personnel ideally should walk in the middle of sidewalks. Eye-catching objects on the ground should be ignored. When money must be handled or a phone looked at, one should stand with one’s back to a wall. Caution is mandatory when paying for things, since that is when many thieves pounce.
Women in high heels are prime targets for grab artists, particularly on cobblestone streets. High heels, therefore, should not be worn.
Personnel should move purposely through train stations and other transportation hubs. They should remain alert constantly in and near tourist attractions.
It is essential to keep in mind that there is no such thing as a typical petty thief. They can dress any way, and be of any sex, age, ethnic group or economic background. Some even speak excellent English.
Indeed, it is petty thieves who do not look out of place in restaurants, shops and among business travelers who perhaps pose the biggest risks. It is they who very often grab briefcases, shopping bags, mobile phones, cameras, expensive coats and other attractive items left unwatched by their owners.
Thieves on Scooters
It is common for scooter-mounted thieves to snatch bags, mobile phones, cameras or other items. To gain the element of surprise, perpetrators zoom up behind marks. They often use razor blades to cut straps.
Victims immediately should let go of objects of contention, otherwise they risk being dragged and seriously injured.
Crooked Beggars
Beggars, including women and children, are behind a considerable amount of petty theft. They employ a wide range of tactics, from using begging as cover for reaching into pockets to throwing dirt in the faces of marks. It is not unknown for child beggars to swarm marks, pulling at clothing and reaching into pockets.
When confronted by thieving beggars, the appropriate response is to wave one’s arms vigorously and shout as loudly as possible.
Credit and ATM Cards
Sophisticated gangs steal credit cards from foreigners and run up thousands of dollars in illicit charges in minutes.
Another tactic is to place data-skimming devices on legitimate credit card-reading machines in shops and restaurants, often with the help of compromised employees.
To play it safe, personnel should make credit card charges only in business-class hotels and other clearly reputable establishments and even then should watch their cards closely during transactions.
ATM fraud is a problem. Sophisticated gangs place skimming devices on cash machines and then use stolen data to make online purchases or in-person purchases with cloned cards.
Risks can be reduced considerably by only using ATMs inside banks or business-class hotels. All ATMs should be scrutinized for tampering before use, with special attention paid to unusual gaps or other irregularities, especially concerning the card slot and keypad. Transactions should not be made if anyone appears to be watching. Prudence dictates that the keypad be covered with a free hand while PIN-punching.
Credit card and ATM transactions should be monitored regularly through a secure Internet connection.
Police
The phone number for emergencies in Italy is 112.
Generally speaking, police officers are highly professional, although many do not speak English.
Across Italy, it is common for soldiers to guard government buildings or patrol with police, particularly near landmarks.
Theft reports must be filled out at the nearest station of the Carabinieri, the police force that has duties in both the civilian and military sectors. This can take anywhere from 15 minutes to a couple of hours.
Actual passports are required to leave Italy; police reports of stolen passports do not suffice.
Police officers have the authority to stop foreigners and locals at will for identity checks.
Some form of photo ID should be carried at all times. Drivers should carry their passports.
Criminals occasionally pose as plainclothes police officers in order to shake down unsuspecting foreigners.
If stopped by someone claiming to be a plainclothes police officer, the proper response is to ask for a uniformed officer and/or to insist on seeing a police identification card. Under no circumstances should wallets or valuables be handed over. Questionable incidents should be reported to genuine police.
It should be noted that some Italian cities and towns strictly enforce laws against littering, entering fountains and sitting on or eating and drinking near historic buildings, churches and government facilities.
Pedestrians who fail to use marked road crossings sometimes are fined. In any case, using such crossings is prudent given how erratic and even reckless many Italian drivers are.
Car Travel
The best way to get around is by chauffeur-driven company or business-class hotel vehicle.
Registered taxi fares are determined by meter, which sometimes are rigged. Crooked cabbies also take circular routes to jack up fares.
Visitors ideally should arrange taxi rides through their hotels. When that is not possible, taxis should be taken from official ranks with bright orange or yellow signposts rather than hailed from curbside.
Not all taxi drivers speak English, meaning they should be shown destinations in writing.
It is imperative to make sure drivers engage their meters before getting underway.
An official Milan taxi is white with the phone number of the company on the side and a taxi sign on the roof.
Italian taxi drivers do not expect to be tipped.
Foreigners should consider downloading the app Freenow (formerly MyTaxi), a division of US-based, ride-hailing company Lyft. Freenow identifies the taxi by license plate before arrival, specifies the meeting point, provides a fare estimate, and allows users to pay by credit card through the app or in cash at the end of rides. Fare estimates can increase during rides due to heavy traffic.
Uber is available in Milan and some other Italian cities. But due to political pressure from taxi driver associations, its drivers must be specially licensed and have a luxury vehicle, which makes their services more expensive.
One advantage of using Uber is that its vehicles usually come faster than registered taxis.
Under no circumstances should personnel use unlicensed taxis, many of which are driven by scoundrels or outright thugs. Risks of entering a gypsy cab can be reduced by getting taxis from official pickup points rather than hailing them from the street.
Public Transportation
Countless foreigners use suburban trains, subways, trams and buses without incident. But it is imperative to keep in mind that public transportation is a magnet for petty thieves.
Those who ride should attempt to avoid the morning and evening rush hours, when crowds are thickest. While waiting for a subway, bus, tram or train at any time of day, one should stand with one’s back to a wall if possible. Once aboard, possessions should be clutched firmly to the front of the body. Taking a seat can reduce pocket-picking risks.
Tickets are sold through apps and also through machines and at some newsstands and small shops.
Tickets must be validated at machines in metro and train stations and near bus and tram doors.
Plainclothes inspectors regularly issue fines to public transportation passengers lacking validated tickets. Fines range from €100 to €500 and typically are reduced to €50 if paid on the spot.
Intercity Trains
Foreigners routinely travel between Italian cities by train.
Tickets from state-owned Trenitalia and privately owned Italo can be purchased online or in stations.
To ward off theft, passengers constantly should keep their luggage in sight and ideally in reach. They should stay alert when moving through stations and boarding and disembarking from trains. Offers of assistance from strangers should be brushed off.
In cities where Uber is available, personnel disembarking from trains should use it rather than risk being gouged by a taxi driver.
Entertainment
Dining out is a quintessential part of the Italian experience. Newcomers, however, risk being gouged. Bogus charges can be inserted into bills. Charges for mineral water and for service may be unreasonable. Prices of bottles or glasses of wine can be deliberately misleading. Sometimes, diners set themselves up for trouble by failing to take into account that items like lobster are priced by weight.
Restaurant and cafe prices should be ascertained in no uncertain terms prior to ordering.
The bar and club scene throughout Italy is relatively tame. But there are bars that cater to hard drinkers.
Drink drugging occurs occasionally in bars and clubs as a prelude to theft or sexual assault. Under no circumstances should food or drink be accepted from strangers, and personnel should keep a close eye on their own food and beverages.
Adult entertainment establishments should be avoided entirely.
In many such establishments, patrons who have had no more than a few drinks are hit with bills of hundreds of dollars. Payment is collected by thugs trained to escort marks to the nearest ATM when necessary.
Even in less sleazy establishments, it is not uncommon for attractive women to entice men into buying them a drink, and for waiters to declare later that the bottle of wine that just happened to be sitting on the table was the most expensive one in the house.
Milan Region Airports
Milan Malpensa International Airport (MXP), Italy’s second busiest air hub, consists of two terminals connected by free shuttle buses and trains. Most travelers use Terminal 1. Budget airlines and charters operate out of Terminal 2.
The airport is located 30 miles northwest of central Milan, with the ride taking about an hour in moderate traffic.
Business travelers ideally should pre-arrange a pickup by company or hotel vehicle or through a reputable local car service.
Registered taxi stands are situated immediately outside Door 6 in the arrivals hall of Terminal 1 and Door 4 in the arrivals hall of Terminal 2. Personnel should follow signs and ignore approaches from freelance drivers, who typically are cheats.
The fixed taxi fare from the airport to central Milan is €110, leading many travelers to take the Malpensa Express Train at a fraction of the cost. Trains go frequently from both terminals to Milano Centrale railway station or Milano Cadorna railway station, with rides taking about an hour. Tickets can be purchased in person at the airport or in the city center, or online through Trenitalia.com. Tickets bought in person must be validated in a machine at trackside before boarding since they do not have a departure time printed on them.
Another option is bus service to central Milan and various cities in the wider region. Tickets can be purchased at the airport or in advance.
Milan Bergamo International Airport (BGY) is located two miles from the city of Bergamo and 28 miles northeast of Milan. It has one terminal and mainly serves budget airlines, including international flights. The official taxi rank is outside Door 1 of the arrivals hall. The ride to central Milan typically takes a little over an hour, with the fare determined by meter. The airport does not have train service but there are buses to Milano Centrale railway station and MXP.
Milano Linate Airport (LIN), four miles east of central Milan, consists of one terminal with international and domestic flight connections. It has no direct train service but is a stop on Milan’s Number 4 metro line. Taxis from the rank outside the arrivals hall charge by meter, with the fare to central Milan typically running about €30.
Registered taxi drivers are supposed to accept credit cards but sometimes claim technical problems and insist on cash. As a precaution, travelers planning to take a taxi from one of the airports should have euros in their wallet.
It should be noted that theft of unattended luggage and pocket-picking occur occasionally at the three airports.
Hotel Requirement
Hotels and smaller accommodations throughout Italy are required register passport details of their guests with the police. Hotel staff insist upon seeing passports at check-in.
It is strongly recommended that passports not be left with hotel staff and that any photocopies or electronic copies of passports be destroyed by hotel staff when no longer needed.
