Polish news agency probably hit by Russian cyberattack, minister says (updated)

Cyfrowy Polsat SA

31/05/2024 15:45

(Recasts to cite minister, adds prime minister's reaction)
       WARSAW, May 31 (Reuters) - Poland's state news agency
PAP was probably hit by a Russian cyberattack on Friday, a
government minister said, after a false article about military
mobilisation appeared on its news feed.
    Warsaw has repeatedly accused Moscow of attempting to
destabilise Poland because of its role in supplying military aid
to Ukraine, allegations Russian officials have dismissed.
    "Everything indicates that we are dealing with a cyberattack
that was directed from the Russian side," Digital Affairs
Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski told
private broadcaster Polsat News, adding that special services
including the Internal Security Agency were investigating.
    The Russian embassy in Warsaw said it had no knowledge of
the incident and declined further comment.
    "Another very dangerous hacker attack well illustrates
Russia's destabilisation strategy on the eve of the European
elections," Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X.
    The article that appeared twice on the PAP newswire, days
before elections for the European Parliament, said Tusk would
mobilise 200,000 people to fight in Ukraine.
    "The false article was published twice on Friday - at 14.00
and 14.20," PAP wrote. "It was withdrawn both times. After the
first withdrawal, it was re-released."
    PAP said it was looking into the circumstances surrounding
the incident.
    "We have identified the source of access. We have secured
this path," Justyna Wojteczek, deputy editor-in-chief of PAP,
told Polsat News.
    Poland's state-run National Research Institute (NASK) said
on May 8 Russian cyberspies had targeted networks belonging to
the government and recommended network administrators verify
whether employees were under attack. 

 (Reporting by Alan Charlish and Pawel Florkiewicz; Editing by
Timothy Heritage and David Holmes)
 ((alan.charlish@thomsonreuters.com))