Head of NASK: Why Poland is Among the Countries Most Vulnerable to Cyberattacks

Rzeczpospolita features an insightful interview with the head of NASK, exploring why Poland finds itself at the forefront of cyberattack threats in Europe. The conversation underscores the dramatic evolution of cybersecurity challenges over the past three decades, a period that has seen information systems become indispensable to daily life.

The stark statistics presented – a leap from 12 cyber incidents in 1996 to over 260,000 in 2025 – illustrate the escalating scale and sophistication of cyber threats. NASK's role as a national Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) has become increasingly critical in managing this onslaught. The interview highlights that while systems are more vital than ever, their inherent vulnerabilities mean that breaches are inevitable, requiring society to be prepared for disruptions in services and data availability.

From Poland's perspective, as articulated in the article, the high volume of attacks is attributed to several factors. The nation's status as a significant economy with an increasingly affluent population makes it a lucrative target for financial crime. Furthermore, Poland's crucial position as a logistical hub for aid and transit to and from Ukraine, coupled with its clear stance in the conflict, makes it a strategic target for disruption by adversaries like the Russian Federation. Rzeczpospolita frames this situation not just as a technical challenge but as a component of a broader hybrid warfare landscape, emphasizing the need for robust national cybersecurity measures.