Poland is preparing for the August 2023 Presidential Elections in a highly volatile geopolitical climate. The war in Ukraine has caused more than 3 million people to flee Ukraine. The new energy crisis has caused a rise in fuel costs and price inflation that is placing local economies at great risk. The future of Poland is being shaped by cyber threats.
Cyjax, a software company specializing in a specific field of work is Cyjax. thorough report This report offers insight and an evaluation of Poland’s cyber posture ahead the 2023 election. “With the importance of Poland strategically, as a developed market, and tactically through its economic and geographic position within the EU, we felt it was vital to provide people employed in and travelling to the country a holistic understanding of the risks posed by Cybercriminals towards them,” ” Chris SpinksCyjax Head, Operations. Following a thorough analysis of all the risk factors, the Cyjax team assesses that “the cyber risk to the Polish elections and to staff working in the country is Medium.”
Background Information
The Polish National Cyber Security Strategy (2019-2024) aims at “Increasing the level of resilience to cyber threats and protection of information in the public, military and private sectors, as well as promoting knowledge and good practices to enable the citizens to better protect information.” The Strategy details four objectives, namely:
- A national cybersecurity system is being developed.
- Enhancing resilience in both public and private sector information systems, and improving ability to respond to and prevent emergencies.
- A national capacity to enhance its cybersecurity capabilities.
- Poland’s Republic should have the ability to establish an international presence within cybersecurity.
Poland is also a signatory to the Cybercrime Convention of Council of Europe. However, the government is cognizant that additional investment is required to enhance the nation’s cybersecurity capabilities, and that new legislation will be necessary to assure the successful execution of any new measures.
Cyberattacks against computers and other devices are on the rise.
A 2022 survey called “Cyber Security Barometer,” carried out by the global consultancy KPMG, found that since 2021, 29% of Poland’s businesses have been the subject of at least one cyber-attack. This is 5 percent more cyber-attacks than in 2020.
“Cyberattacks increased in Poland by 5% but overall have remained below the global average of 8.8%,” notes Jovana Macakanja, Intelligence Analyst at Cyjax.
Numerous cyber-events that have been reported from Poland contain malware attacks, such as rootkits, viruses, trojans, and viruses. Ransomware is being used by hackers to launch malicious/phishing attacks on an increasing frequency.
This country is home to the majority of internet-hostile activities, including spamming and hate speech. The biggest threat facing Poland in 2020 is online abuse. Internet abuse can also result in illegal or hazardous information. This is not an emerging threat. However, there are concerns about illegal or harmful information.
Ukrainians were grateful for the support of Poland. reported in May 2022 DDoS attacks on domestic institutions have been increasing. These DDoS attacks can hinder the access of websites offering services. Russian hackers have admitted to being responsible for these attacks. However, it is not clear that they have had an impact on the Polish institutions.
Since the beginning of 2022, cyber-related incidents directly affected Poland. They were unrelated to the Ukrainian conflict.
- The state-sponsored North Korean threat group was formed on July 20, 2022. APT37 launched a fresh effort to disseminate the Konni RAT Targeted were high-value organizations in Poland and Czech Republic, along with other countries. Phishing mails were used to send malware in this instance.
- Cloudflare repelled a record-setting DDoS attack in June 2022 It was aimed at the media, internet and banking sectors in Poland and Russia.
- Researchers found that the virus had a second version in May 2022. ERMAC Android banking trojanERMAC2.0 was a Polish-specific attack that targeted Polish users. It was most often detected on fraudulent sites posing as prominent food delivery websites and fake browser upgrades.
- It BRATA Android malware The website was updated with new features in February 2022. To increase awareness, we targeted online banking customers in Latin America and Poland.
“It is possible that more terrorist acts will be committed as the 2023 elections approach. This could include both foreign and domestic actors working to alter the results.” comments Jovana Macakanja. “By following cybersecurity best practices you can reduce the risk to individuals’ lives, including using VPNs and not connecting to public WiFi networks.”
Important concern is the state surveillance of citizens
It is extremely concerning to see spyware software being used in monitoring state activities. While the government recognizes these risks, they cannot ignore them. initially rejected the accusations of using the spyware Pegasus in 2019Later on, the spokesperson admitted The government was accused of purchasing the software. Following the allegations, The Citizen Lab Two well-known members of the opposition had their phones infected with spyware repeatedly, it was found.
This, and other illegal practices are also prohibited by the governmental control of many Polish newspapers and TV stations In the context of the upcoming elections, these areas will be of concern. Similar instances of spyware being exposed in EU countries like Spain Greece, indicate that this is a threat to the very essence of democracy – the freedom of expression and the protection of human rights and dignity.
Editor’s Note: Tripwire, Inc. cannot be held responsible for guest author’s opinions.
