Deas leverages cybersecurity to protect Italian art heritage

Deas is aiming to apply Italian cybersecurity expertise and hacker culture to protect Italy’s strategic cultural assets. As museums undergo digital transformation, they rely on complex infrastructures including IP surveillance, digital archives, and connected environmental sensors, which create new surfaces for cyber risk.

This shift coincides with evolving criminal methods. According to a Europol report, art theft is moving away from traditional specialized thieves toward a ‘crime as a service’ model. This involves temporary groups recruited via social networks and messaging services, which are assembled for specific operations, making them harder to track and potentially more violent.