Did the Belarusian services target the elections in Poland? Alarming ABW report

During the last parliamentary elections in Poland, the increased activity of cybercriminals associated with the regime of Alexander Lukashenko posed a serious threat to the country’s digital security and information sovereignty.

According to the latest “Report on the state of cyberspace security of the Republic of Poland in 2023” published by the CSIRT GOV Computer Security Incident Response Team, operating under the supervision of the Internal Security Agency (ABW), the UNC1151 group carried out large-scale phishing attacks in Poland, aimed at infecting selected recipients’ computers with malware.

ABW: Cyber ​​spies will influence the presidential elections

As the report indicates, one of the forms of attack was an inconspicuous e-mail inviting to the ceremony “162. Investiture of the World Order of St. Stanisław Bishop Męczennika”, which was sent to carefully selected people in Poland. The email attachment contained malware that, when clicked, infected recipients’ devices, allowing hackers to access data and potentially spread the infection further.

CSIRT GOV noted that this type of activities were particularly intense during the election campaign for the Sejm and Senate, from August to October last year. Although the report does not reveal the exact effects of the attacks or who exactly these messages were sent to, the Internal Security Agency clearly indicates that the phishing campaign was related to the parliamentary elections and was intended to influence Poland’s information stability.

Russian-Belarusian disinformation activities

In addition to hacker attacks, the Internal Security Agency also raises alarms about disinformation activities from Russia and Belarus. In the pre-election period, false content stylized as political messages appeared in the Polish media space.

For example, information was spread on social media that the government intended to introduce free funerals for retirees or restore compulsory military service. This type of content was intended to arouse social anxiety and polarize society, and their nature, according to ABW experts, indicated Russian inspiration.

Similar disinformation campaigns are typical of Russian activities before elections in Western countries. As Stanisław Żaryn, former government representative for the security of the Polish information space, reminds us, similar activities were carried out by Russia before the presidential elections in the United States in 2016 and in France in 2017.

– Russians treat elections in Western countries as a moment when they can try to influence their results and undermine the credibility of democratic systems – notes Żaryn in an interview with “Rzeczpospolita”, emphasizing that the election period is a time of increased activity of Russian and Belarusian services.

Attempts to take over screens in public places

During the election silence, there was also an incident involving taking control of screens in shopping malls, where a manipulated political message was broadcast. This action, although quickly stopped by the services, shows how wide a range of methods cybercriminals use to destabilize the political situation in Poland.

Cyber ​​threats before the presidential elections

The threat from Russian and Belarusian cybercriminals does not end with the parliamentary elections. The Internal Security Agency warns that similar attacks may increase during next year’s presidential campaign. According to the report, potential vulnerabilities in information and digital systems that can be exploited by hackers are already being identified.

The latest CSIRT GOV report presents not only an analysis of identified incidents, but also recommendations for increased security measures during election periods. Polish services will have to intensify preventive activities and educate the public about the threats posed by false information campaigns and phishing attacks.