A sharp rise in cyberattacks is turning the security of public institutions into one of the most urgent challenges facing governments and local authorities. From hospitals to schools and administrative offices, the public sector is increasingly reliant on digital systems—while simultaneously becoming a prime target for cybercriminals.

According to a February 2026 report by Netscout (Arbor Networks), Poland ranks fourth globally in terms of cyberattack volume. The implication is clear: institutions should no longer ask if they will be attacked, but when.

Recent incidents underline the scale of the threat. In March, a cyberattack forced the Independent Public Voivodeship Hospital in Szczecin to shut down parts of its IT systems, pushing staff onto paper-based processes and redirecting non-urgent patients elsewhere. The disruption highlighted how digital breaches can quickly translate into real-world consequences—particularly in healthcare, where system downtime affects diagnostics, patient records and logistics.

Other Polish facilities have faced similar scenarios. The Polish Mother's Memorial Hospital Institute and a Ministry of Interior hospital in Kraków have both experienced attacks that temporarily cut access to critical systems.

Experts say the sector’s vulnerability stems from both the volume of sensitive data it holds and the age of many legacy systems, originally built before today’s threat landscape emerged.

“Cybersecurity in the public sector must be designed systemically,” says Agnieszka Ciemniejewska. “Protecting individual elements is not enough if the overall architecture isn’t prepared for modern threats.”

A more resilient approach includes secure fiber-optic infrastructure, network segmentation to isolate critical systems, and real-time monitoring via Security Operations Centres (SOC). These tools allow institutions to detect anomalies quickly and respond before incidents escalate.

Equally crucial are backup and recovery systems. In the case of ransomware attacks, the ability to restore data from secure, isolated backups can determine whether operations resume within hours—or remain disrupted for days.

Increasingly, public organisations are also turning to advanced data centres and cloud-based environments, which offer multi-layered protection and automated threat detection.

Companies such as INEA are promoting a holistic approach—starting with infrastructure audits and extending through full digital transformation strategies.

As cyber threats continue to evolve, one conclusion is unavoidable: for the public sector, cybersecurity is no longer a technical add-on, but a core pillar of operational resilience.