Beyza Binnur Donmez
07 November 2026•Update: 07 November 2026
The company responsible for the Brenner Base Tunnel project connecting Austria and Italy has been targeted by a cyberattack, with a Russian-speaking hacking group suspected of involvement, according to local media reports.
The tunnel’s operating company, BBT SE, confirmed the attack to the Tiroler Tageszeitung newspaper on Friday.
The Russian-speaking group Everest may be behind the attack, the report said, citing information linking the group to an international cyber extortion network.
According to an analysis by US cybersecurity firm ZeroFox cited in the report, the group steals sensitive data, threatens to publish it and demands payment from victims.
BBT SE said it responded immediately after discovering the attack, isolating the affected data source and notifying the relevant authorities.
The company declined to answer questions about whether it had entered negotiations with the hackers or made any payments, according to the report.
As for possible consequences for the tunnel project, the company said that, based on its current assessment, no operational processes had been affected.
BBT SE added that efforts were underway to investigate the details of the cyberattack.
The identity of those responsible has not been confirmed.