Italian Businessman Targeted with Paragon Spyware

Italian Businessman Targeted by Paragon Spyware

Recent news reports indicate that a well-known figure in Italian business has been the subject of surveillance using Paragon spyware.

Details of the Targeting

According to reports from IrpiMedia, an Italian online investigative outlet, and La Stampa newspaper, Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone was notified by WhatsApp in January that he was a target of spyware developed by Paragon Solutions.

Approximately 90 individuals received similar notifications, raising concerns about the scope of the surveillance.

Lack of Clarity Regarding Motives

The reason behind the targeting of Caltagirone remains unclear at this time. Attempts to obtain a statement from a representative of his holding company, Caltagirone SpA, were unsuccessful.

Caltagirone’s Business Interests

Francesco Caltagirone’s holding company has diverse investments across multiple sectors. These include construction, real estate, finance, and publishing.

Notably, the company owns Il Messaggero, a prominent Italian newspaper.

Expanding List of Victims

Caltagirone is the first businessman identified as a victim of Paragon spyware in Italy. Previously, those targeted included:

Journalists Francesco Cancellato and Ciro Pellegrino (Fanpage)
Immigration activists Luca Casarini and Giuseppe Caccia (Mediterranea Saving Humans)

This expands the scope of the Paragon spyware scandal beyond journalists and activists.

Impact of the Revelations

Following reports concerning the targeting of journalists from Fanpage, Paragon severed its relationships with Italian government entities, which had been its clientele.

About Paragon Solutions

Paragon, which has consistently presented itself as an “ethical” spyware vendor, is based in Israel.

In December 2024, the company was acquired by AE Industrial, a U.S. private equity firm. The acquisition included plans for a merger with cybersecurity company REDLattice.

Merger and Communication

When contacted by TechCrunch in September regarding a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a Paragon spokesperson directed inquiries to Jennifer Iras, Vice President of Marketing at REDLattice.

This suggests the merger process may have been completed at that time.