Poland: Russian cyberattacks on critical infrastructure have increased

Poland is at the center of an escalating digital war with Russia, as cyberattacks targeting the country's critical infrastructure have surged. According to Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski, Russian military intelligence services have tripled their resources for attacks against Poland by 2025 — a development that underscores how cyberspace has become a new battlefield on the European front.

Thousands of incidents every day

The numbers are impressive: in the first three quarters of the year alone, Polish authorities have detected more than 170,000 cyber incidents, with 2,000 to 4,000 attacks attempted daily. Of these, around 1,000 are classified as truly dangerous, with the potential to hit critical systems or cause serious disruptions.

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The targets are no longer limited to traditional sectors, such as water and sanitation, but are expanding to energy, namely electricity grids, fuel storage facilities and natural gas pipelines. Gawkowski speaks of a tactical shift, where Russia tests the resilience of Western systems through constant attrition and psychological pressure.

From drones to fake news: The hybrid nature of attacks

The peak of the tension occurred on September 10, when a Russian drone attack was accompanied by a coordinated cyberattack, the largest since 2022. According to the Polish government, the attacks were not limited to a technical level, but were accompanied by a disinformation campaign: within hours, social media was flooded with fake posts blaming Ukraine for the attack.

This campaign relied on “sleeping bots,” accounts that remained dormant for months or years and were reactivated in a coordinated manner, showing that Moscow has created long-term mechanisms for spreading false information when deemed strategically necessary.

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Poland: The most vulnerable link in NATO?

Warsaw is on the front lines of supporting Ukraine, making it Moscow's primary target among NATO members. Polish security services have long warned of digital destabilization campaigns aimed not only at stealing data or causing technical problems, but mainly at undermining citizens' trust in institutions.

Cyberattacks are a weapon of psychological warfare, where technology is used to sow doubt and insecurity. Russia has consistently denied any involvement, but findings by Polish intelligence agencies – working with the EU and NATO– show a clear Russian signature in dozens of phishing, ransomware and DDoS attacks targeting government agencies and energy providers.

The new digital cold war

The situation in Poland reflects a broader European reality: cyberattacks have now become a tool of strategic pressure, as important as classic military operations. At the core of these attacks are economic, political and informational motives — from monitoring critical networks to destabilizing governments through disinformation.

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Poland is responding by creating a new national cyber defense center, which will coordinate the military, intelligence services and private technology providers. The goal is to strengthen systems for detecting and responding to attacks, as well as train the population to recognize fake news.

Beyond the firewall: The human dimension

Behind the technical terms and firewalls, the real war is fought at the level of trust. When a state is targeted with 4,000 attacks every day, technology alone is not enough. It requires social resilience, education and transparency.

Poland may be on the cutting edge today, but its struggle reflects the future of all of Europe: a world where borders are not geographical, but digital, and threats come not in tanks — but in bits and false narratives.