Poland's cybersecurity experts foil Russian and Belarussian attacks

WARSAW, Poland — Poland’s security officials said Monday they have foiled cyberattacks and online blackmail attempts by groups acting for Russian and Belarusian services.

Poland has registered up to 1,000 online attacks daily targeting government institutions and agencies, officials said, linking them to the country's support for neighboring Ukraine in its 2 1/2-year war against Russia's invasion.

The group that was broken up was seeking access to information in state and individual companies with the goal of blackmailing them, said Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski.

He said that in the first half of 2024, more than 400,000 attempted or successful cyberattacks were recorded, compared to 370,000 in all of last year.

The government plans new legislation to increase Poland's cybersecurity, Gawkowski said. The government would like internet operators to store data on servers in Poland, not abroad, to ensure better internal protection and oversight by national authorities.