Russian Cyberattacks on Poland: 300 Incidents a Day, Hospitals and Water Systems Targeted, and a €1 Billion Cyber Shield

Imagine Heart Surgery... Controlled from Moscow

Hey there, fellow cyber defenders! Remember the good old days when a blackout just meant a blown fuse in the basement? And now? Picture a surgeon in the middle of an operation when the hospital's systems suddenly go dark, because some Russian keyboard "specialist" decided to test how resilient we are. Sounds like a Netflix plot? Unfortunately, it's Poland's reality in 2025. From attacks on hospitals to attempts to cut off water in the country's largest cities, the Kremlin isn't sitting idle. Prime Minister Tusk calls it hybrid warfare. And us? We're drinking coffee and counting attacks. Time for a serious conversation over that coffee.

What Exactly Happened? A Wave of Attacks Flooding the System

According to reports from the Ministry of Digital Affairs and the intelligence services, Poland is facing an explosion of Russian cyberattacks: anywhere from 20–50 a day against critical infrastructure to as many as 300 incidents overall, adding up to 60,000–70,000 a month. In Q2 2025 alone, more than 450 politically motivated attacks were recorded, making Poland the world leader in "hacktivism," according to Spain's ZIUR center. Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski doesn't mince words: "We are in a cyberwar with Russia." The attacks have intensified since the invasion of Ukraine and have doubled compared with last year.

The details? Here's a hard-hitting summary of the facts:

• Scale and targets: More than 300 attacks a day, mainly against hospitals (2–3 successful breaches that disrupted operations), water utilities (in August, an attack on the water system of one of Poland's 10 largest cities was thwarted), and the energy sector. In April, attackers tried to hack the systems of Tusk's party ahead of the presidential election.
• Consequences: Theft of medical data and the potential paralysis of services. In March, the Polish Space Agency (POLSA) was attacked; in May, a fake report about the mobilization of 200,000 men was planted on the Polish Press Agency (PAP) newswire, spreading panic ahead of the European Parliament elections.
• Who's behind it: Russian groups such as APT28, NoName057(16), and the GRU/FSB, often with support from Belarus. It's retaliation for Poland's aid to Ukraine, ranging from DDoS attacks to disinformation and espionage.

Our energy system is particularly exposed to groups like APT28. Read our in-depth report on how thousands of cyberattacks are hammering Poland's energy sector and whether a blackout is a real risk.

The August attack on the water supply was stopped, but the hackers had already gotten deep into the network. And in July? Poland accounted for 6% of global ransomware incidents, putting us ahead of the United States!

Why This Isn't Just a "Game of Chess" — and How to Dig In

This isn't political theater; it's a real blow to everyday life. Attacks on hospitals put patients at risk, attacks on water systems put entire cities at risk, and disinformation? It sows fear and divides society, especially before elections. The bigger picture: Russia is testing NATO by destabilizing Ukraine's allies. A 300% year-over-year increase, with more than 2,500 DDoS attacks in Europe in Q2 2025, shows that cyberwarfare is the new frontier of conflict. Poland blocks 99% of attacks — well done! — but the shortage of specialists (85% of the market) is a ticking time bomb.

The government is pushing back: the cyber defense budget has jumped from €600 million in 2024 to €1 billion in 2025, including €80 million for water utilities. But let's be honest: that won't be enough without recruiting talent and strengthening European cooperation.

My advice from Uncle Aleksander? Institutions: work with the Internal Security Agency (ABW), NASK, and the CSIRTs. Run simulation exercises and patch everything. And the rest of us civilians? Use a VPN every day, fact-check the news (especially anything about "mobilization"), use strong passwords, and back up your data. In this war, it's better to be ready with a coffee in one hand and a firewall in the other. Let's not get hacked. Poland isn't going down!