The Polish National Centre for Nuclear Research has reported the successful thwarting of a targeted cyber attack on its IT infrastructure. Early detection systems and internal security procedures allowed IT staff to quickly isolate the threat before the integrity of key operating systems was compromised.
The Institute plays a strategic role in Poland’s nuclear power programme, providing technical and scientific support to national infrastructure projects. NCBJ Director Professor Jakub Kupecki confirmed that the incident had no impact on the operation of Poland’s only research nuclear reactor MARIA. The unit, used for scientific purposes and medical isotope production, continues to operate at full power in safe operational mode.
Although no official attribution of the attack has been made by the NCBJ authorities, there are reports in the public space of a possible Iranian trail. Investigators, however, are far from cautious, pointing to the high probability of a ‘false flag’ operation aimed at disinformation and misidentification of the perpetrators. The situation is part of a wider trend of increased cyber activity targeting Poland, as evidenced by data on last year’s attacks by the Russian group APT44 (Sandworm) on distributed and renewable energy systems.
According to the latest analytical reports, Poland has become one of the main targets for state cyber actors in the region, recording more than 30 major incidents in the past few months. In response to the recent incident in Świerk, the country’s cyber security services have been placed on high alert. NCBJ continues to work closely with law enforcement agencies to fully explain the mechanism of the attack and strengthen the resilience of critical research assets.
