Poland is increasingly finding itself at the sharp end of cyber-threats, as recent disclosures make clear. According to the country’s Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski, in the first three quarters of 2025 more than 170,000 cyber incidents were registered — of which a significant portion is attributed to Russian state-linked actors. The minister further stated that Poland faces between 2,000 and 4,000 such incidents daily, of which some 700-1,000 pose a “real threat or potential for serious damage”. These figures reflect a cyber-landscape that is both grave and evolving.
What makes the Polish case notable is not only the sheer volume and frequency of attacks, but the pattern of targets and the international dimension of the threat. Poland’s modernising infrastructure — from energy and transport networks to water systems and healthcare — is particularly attractive to adversaries seeking leverage, disruption or signalling. For instance, recent reporting reveals that Poland’s critical infrastructure, including hospitals and city water supplies, has been subjected to sabotage attempts alleged to be Russian-backed. At the same time, Poland was reported by Microsoft to rank third in Europe for number of state-sponsored cyberattacks.
Viewed through the lens of geopolitics, the rise in cyber operations against Poland fits into a broader hybrid-pressure campaign attributed to Russia. Analysts note that Moscow appears to be leveraging cyber tools to probe, intimidate and weaken the digital and physical resilience of NATO’s eastern flank. One commentary described Poland’s experience as “a warning and an example” for other Western governments grappling with these tactics. A remarkable detail: Poland says Russia’s military intelligence has tripled its resources for targeting Poland in 2025.
The implications for Poland are profound. With critical infrastructure now squarely in the crosshairs — not just of criminal ransomware gangs but of state-level disruptors aiming at systems, services, and public confidence — the country has moved to strengthen its cyber-defence posture and coordinate more deeply with allies. For enterprises and government alike, the message is clear: patching software is no longer enough; segmentation, OT/IT convergence awareness, rapid attribution and cross-border cooperation have become essential. In summary, Poland’s cyber-storm is both an urgent national security challenge and a case study in modern hybrid warfare — where digital intrusions, infrastructure probing, disinformation operations and conventional military pressure all interlink in the contest between Russia and the West.
