Cybersafetyconnections September 9,2025 vol#234 

  • From Konbriefing there was a cyberattack on water and sewage infrastructure in Poland in August,2025. 
  • These cyberattack affected one of the large cities not named to avoid causing widespread panic. 
  • The report has it that cyberattack on Polish Infrastructure has risen since the Russian invasion on Ukraine in 2022. 
  • There is proof the Russians have orchestrated previous cyberattacks although there is no mention on that fact in relation to this cyberattack. 
  • Here is how Poland mitigated the loss from the cyberattack. 

What happened? 

Northern Sewage Project 

According to Onet Rano ,there was a cyberattack on water and sewage infrastructure in one of Poland’s large cities. 

Who was impacted?

Royalty Photo HighRise Building in Poland 

According to the report the Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski on Onet Rano did not want to reveal the name of the city for fear of causing widespread panic. 

Imagine of the cyberattack succeeded? A city left without water is not a pretty tale to tell. 

Why did it happen? 

Russian and Ukriane War 

The story has it that the cyberattack maybe (Geo)politically motivated. 

Which cyber criminals were responsible? 

On the Frontline of Russian Propaganda 

While not directly stated, the report points to the fact that cyberattacks on Polish Infrastructure have risen since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and some individuals have been convicted. 

How did Poland Mitigate loss from the cyberattack? 

OWASP Threat and Safeguard Matrix 

When the cyberattack was uncovered,  

  • The Joint Cybersecurity Operations Center including special services and computer security incident response teams (CSIRTs) took actions to counter the cyberattack as it was unfolding, thereby preventing lack of water. 
  • The Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski stated that Poland allocates large funds to water and sewage services. 
  • Monika Gembicka from the Communication Office of the Ministry of Digital Affairs told Onet that the public had been informed so Companies are put on the alert of th possibility of such cyberattacks. 

COPILOT, on the other hand, provided tips to mitigate loss from the cyberattack. 

Mitigating losses from cyberattacks on Poland’s water and sewage companies demands a strategic blend of technical resilience, regulatory coordination, and sector-wide intelligence sharing. The August 2025 attack on a major Polish city’s water infrastructure—thwarted just in time—was a wake-up call. Here’s how to move from reactive defense to proactive resilience: 

🛡️ 1. Sector-Wide Threat Intelligence Sharing 

  • Establish and strengthen ISACs: Poland has launched an Information Exchange and Analysis Center specifically for the water sector. This should be expanded to include:  
  • Real-time threat feeds 
  • Shared incident playbooks 
  • Joint tabletop exercises 
  • Benefit: Enables coordinated response and early detection across utilities. 

🔐 2. Harden Industrial Control Systems (ICS) 

  • Why it matters: Water utilities rely on SCADA systems, which are often outdated and vulnerable. 
  • Actions:  
  • Segment OT (Operational Technology) from IT networks. 
  • Deploy intrusion detection systems tailored for ICS. 
  • Patch legacy systems or isolate them with secure gateways. 

🧠 3. Build Cybersecurity Culture & Training 

  • Human error is a major attack vector. 
  • Solutions:  
  • Conduct phishing simulations and awareness campaigns. 
  • Train operators on incident response protocols. 
  • Include cybersecurity in onboarding for all staff. 

🧰 4. Implement Zero Trust Architecture 

  • Core principle: Never trust, always verify. 
  • Steps:  
  • Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all access. 
  • Monitor user behavior for anomalies. 
  • Limit access based on roles and time-bound privileges. 

📊 5. Develop Risk Dashboards & Incident Playbooks 

  • For leadership visibility and rapid response:  
  • Create dashboards showing threat levels, system vulnerabilities, and response readiness. 
  • Maintain playbooks for ransomware, DDoS, and ICS-specific breaches. 

🌐 6. Engage National Cybersecurity Services 

  • Poland’s Joint Cybersecurity Operations Center and CSIRTs played a key role in foiling the August attack. 
  • Recommendation:  
  • Formalize collaboration protocols between utilities and national cyber units. 
  • Share logs and threat indicators regularly. 

💶 7. Secure Funding & EU Support 

  • Tap into EU cybersecurity grants for critical infrastructure. 
  • Justify funding with risk assessments and ROI projections tied to resilience metrics. 

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