Snooping pair stole 3.5 million emails (3)

(ANSA) - Rome, December 12 - Giulio and Francesca Maria Occhionero, siblings arrested in January on suspicion of carrying out cyber spying of politicians and VIPs, managed to stole over 3.5 million emails and snooped on 6,000 people from 2004 onwards, according to a new investigation. The pair are already on trial for large-scale espionage but prosecutors now also looking into allegations of political espionage, sources said. The figures were revealed at a preliminary hearing on Tuesday.
    Specialists form the CNAIPIC group managed to reconstruct the network the Occhioneros created on at least nine computers via American servers thanks to the help of the FBI. Prosecutors say nuclear engineer Giulio Occhionero and his sister Francesca Maria were part of a cyber-espionage ring that for years collected sensitive data on politicians, public institutions and administrations, including ex-premiers Matteo Renzi and Mario Monti and European Central Bank President Mario Draghi.
    Computers used by people working for Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, were compromised as part of the hacking too.
    The computers were allegedly hacked with a malware called 'Eyepyramid'.
    Giulio Occhionero was the venerable master of the Paolo Ungari Masonic lodge.
    Investigators believe that the espionage was not an isolated initiative by the arrested pair, saying they have found links to the so-called P4 power-seeking cliche and to wheeler-dealer Luigi Bisignani.