Polish companies are far behind in cybersecurity. "We have weapons, but we don't know how to use them"

• - We are observing clear geopolitical tensions and growing polarization in the world. In such a situation, investing in technologies that send data to countries that raise doubts from the point of view of political cooperation raises the question: can we really use them safely? - wonders Paweł Jurek from Dagma Ochrona IT in an interview with WNP.
• As our interlocutor emphasizes, when it comes to Polish technologies, we have high-quality solutions in the country.
• According to a report prepared by Dagma IT Security, 52% of employees of Polish companies and institutions have not participated in any cybersecurity training in the last five years.

Despite the growing awareness of digital threats and increasing investments in modern protection systems , many Polish organizations still cannot cope with the basic aspects of cybersecurity . They lack not only tools, but above all competences. And it is the human, not the machine, who is most often the first line of defense and at the same time its greatest weakness.

- We have weapons, but we don't know how to use them - says Paweł Jurek, business development director at Dagma Ochrona IT, in an interview with WNP.

According to a report prepared by Dagma together with Eset, more than half of employees of Polish companies and institutions have not participated in any cybersecurity training in the last five years. This is an alarming signal, especially in the context of increasing threats. Importantly, 250 IT specialists also took part in the study - which shows that even among professionals, competences are not always at the appropriate level.

- We bought cybersecurity solutions, but we forgot about the competencies that are necessary to use them effectively. Regular training should be the foundation of security policy in every organization: both public and private - notes Paweł Jurek.

The most popular form of cyberattacks remains phishing

According to the expert, one of the most commonly used attack vectors remains email. Criminals still like to reach for phishing, or messages containing malicious links, through which they gain access to company systems.

- Each of us, if we do not update our knowledge, naturally begins to forget some information over time - this is a completely understandable process, especially in such a dynamically changing field as cybersecurity - emphasizes the expert.

The consequence of such attacks may be, for example, the installation of ransomware, which encrypts data and demands a ransom for decrypting it.

- Network security is not just about firewalls and antiviruses. It is primarily about people who can recognize threats and know how to react to them - sums up Paweł Jurek.

The nationality of technology is becoming increasingly important

As the expert notes, cybersecurity is not just about technical and educational issues. In the face of geopolitical tensions, the origin of the technologies used is also becoming increasingly important.

- We are observing clear geopolitical tensions and growing polarization in the world. In such a situation, investing in technologies that send data to countries that raise doubts from the point of view of political cooperation raises the question: can we really use them safely? - emphasizes Paweł Jurek.

Although the domestic market for cybersecurity solutions is still developing and does not offer a full alternative in every category, on a European Union scale - as the expert points out - there are numerous tools available that meet high security standards and at the same time guarantee compliance with European data protection regulations.

- When it comes to Polish technologies, we have high-quality solutions in the country. However, it must be admitted that due to the high level of specialization in this area, we do not always have the option of choosing only from domestic suppliers. However, within the European Union, there are many solutions available that meet both technical requirements and safety standards - emphasizes Paweł Jurek.