Poland has become one of the most frequently targeted countries in the world for politically motivated and criminal cyberattacks, especially since Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Analysts point to its NATO role, support for Ukraine and location between Western Europe and the war zone as key reasons why hostile actors see Polish networks as a high value target. Official statistics show a sharp rise in daily incidents, with authorities speaking of hundreds to thousands of attempted attacks every day, ranging from simple phishing to advanced intrusions against critical infrastructure.
Government systems, the energy sector, military networks, public utilities and transport infrastructure are among the main targets, with several high profile attempts to disrupt power grids, water supplies and communications in major cities. Most of these operations are linked to Russian state backed groups or affiliated cybercriminals, sometimes framed as “hacktivism,” and are treated as part of a broader hybrid campaign that mixes cyber sabotage with disinformation and political pressure.
At the same time, Polish authorities have invested heavily in cyber defense, building up national incident response capabilities and increasing budgets to keep essential services running even under constant digital pressure.
