ROME, April 3 (Xinhua) -- The Uffizi Galleries, one of Italy's most prestigious museums, was hit by a cyberattack earlier this year that disrupted internal systems, and its director was also threatened by hackers, local media reported on Friday.
Hackers infiltrated the Galleries' network over the weekend of Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, forcing staff to shut down the computer system and temporarily suspend work email accounts, according to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.
The report said that hackers had gained access to the entire museum network, including the Uffizi Gallery, Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens. They allegedly sent a ransom demand directly to the museum's director Simone Verde via phone, threatening to sell the stolen information on the dark web if their demands were not met.
The compromised information also reportedly consisted of security maps of the museum, forcing the galleries to transfer some valuable artefacts to the Bank of Italy and seal additional doors in the building. The case is under investigation by Italy's National Cybersecurity Agency.
In a statement released on Friday, the Uffizi Galleries did not deny the cyberattack or alleged blackmail, but clarified that no damage had been caused and that there was no evidence that hackers had obtained security maps.
The museum added that the transfer of some treasures to the Bank of Italy was related to reconstruction work, and that the sealing of some doors was part of fire prevention measures aimed at "reducing the excessive permeability of spaces."
According to the General Directorate of Museums, Florence's Uffizi Galleries is Italy's second most visited museum after Rome's Colosseum, and houses some of the most prestigious Renaissance and modern paintings by renowned masters such as Michelangelo, Botticelli, Caravaggio and Rembrandt. ■