Polish Ruling Parties Targeted in Russian Cyberattacks Before Election

Poland's ruling Civic Platform party, along with other coalition parties, faced a series of cyberattacks attributed to Russian hackers just days before the presidential election, targeting their websites and causing temporary outages. The attacks included denial-of-service (DDoS) assaults on Civic Platform's main site and a campaign donation page, prompting intense response efforts from Polish cybersecurity authorities, including the National Institute for Research Specialized in Cybersecurity (NASK). These cyber operations were linked to attempts at electoral interference, including coordinated misinformation campaigns on social media platforms like Facebook, which were identified and removed. Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, a leading candidate from the Civic Platform, remains the frontrunner in the election despite these disruptions. Polish officials have been vigilant due to a recent rise in Russian and Belarusian cyberattacks targeting government institutions, reflecting ongoing tensions related to Poland's support for Ukraine amid the Russia-Ukraine war. The attacks underscore broader concerns across Europe about foreign interference in democratic processes.