Poland’s Ministry of Digital Technology on 6 May said the number of cyberattacks by Russia is on the rise, coming just weeks before the country’s presidential election. Polish authorities have warned over the past months that Moscow may try to interfere in the 18 May election through cyberattacks and disinformation.
“Today we counted almost 2,000 incidents and the day is not over yet,” Poland’s digital technology minister Krzysztof Gawkowski told TVN24 news channel. “Every month there are 60-70,000 attacks” of various scales, he said, adding that Poland “is in a cyber war with Russia.”
Gawkowski said Russian services are trying to cause “emotions and panic” by attacking state structures, particularly water and electricity supply systems.
The minister said that Russian military intelligence is “trying to recruit agents of influence at any cost,” paying them between “3,000 and 4,000 euros for 10 days of work to spread disinformation.”
Gawkowski stressed that the government had introduced several preventive measures to tighten security ahead of the 18 May vote.
Earlier this month, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said his party’s computer system was the target of a cyberattack, which he called “foreign interference.”
In late March, French defence company Thales reported that Russia was hitting Poland, the Nordic countries and the Baltic states with an arsenal of cyberweapons aimed at promoting dissent and anti-war messages.