Hackers Breach Polish Space Agency POLSA

The Polish Space Agency POLSA has taken its IT network offline after an encounter with hackers.

POLSA was established in 2014 and functions as an executive agency under the Polish Ministry of Economic Development and Technology.

Headquartered in Gdańsk, POLSA is a member of the European Space Agency (ESA) and focuses on developing satellite networks and space technologies.

‘A cybersecurity incident’

Not issuing a formal press statement, the agency Sunday evening simply shared the news on X:

“There has been a cybersecurity incident at POLSA. The relevant services and institutions have been informed. The situation is being analyzed. In order to secure data after the hack, the POLSA network was immediately disconnected from the Internet. We will keep you updated.”

POLSA discloses cyberattack via X

The wording may indicate a run in with ransomware, though this has yet to be confirmed.

Sources inside the agency who asked to remain anonymous told The Register that the attack seems related to an internal email compromise. The British news site reports that staff are being told to use phones for communication instead.

POLSA officials have not answered media inquiries yet. The agency has taken its website offline as well.

Affected systems have been secured

Poland's Minister of Digital Affairs, Krzysztof Gawkowski also took to X to inform the public that “State services responsible for cybersecurity have detected unauthorized access to the Polish Space Agency's IT infrastructure.”

“In connection with the incident, the systems affected by the attack have been secured,” Gawkowski said. “CSIRT NASK, together with CSIRT MON, supports POLSA in activities aimed at restoring the Agency's operational functioning. Intensive operational activities are also being conducted to identify who is behind the cyberattack. We will publish further information on this matter on an ongoing basis.”

Poland's Minister of Digital Affairs, Krzysztof Gawkowski, indicates that the incident has been contained

It is unclear who (and for what reason) decided to breach Poland’s space agency, if this was indeed a targeted attack.

As The Record points out, Gawkowski has previously said that Poland’s cyber space is frequently attacked by Russia, and that his country has become a prime target for pro-Russian hackers due to its support for Ukraine.

However, it’s also fair to assume that even non-state-affiliated actors would be eager to steal top-secret data from a nation with a space program.