Poland’s Energy Sector Attack is a Wake-Up Call for Improving Edge Security

• Threat actors exploited vulnerable internet-facing edge devices, causing loss of visibility and control.
• The incident underscored how unpatched systems, misconfigurations, and default settings can enable large-scale disruption of critical infrastructure.
• LevelBlue SASE and SSE provide scalable, managed security that strengthens cyber resilience across IT and OT environments.

The Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an alert this week based on an attack that struck Poland’s energy sector in late 2025.

The attack compromised the operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems (ICS) in 30 renewable energy and heating plants, impacting 500,000 people and also that nation’s manufacturing sector.

“The malicious cyber activity highlights the need for critical infrastructure entities with vulnerable edge devices to act now to strengthen their cybersecurity posture against cyber threat activities targeting OT and ICS”, CISA said.

As we will discuss, the attack succeeded because the targeted organizations failed to take appropriate preventative action, steps every organization needs to ensure are taken regularly.

Background on the Attack

CISA and Poland’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) Incident Report noted that threat actor(s) gained initial access through vulnerable internet-facing edge devices, subsequently deploying wiper malware and causing damage to remote terminal units (RTUs).

The malicious cyber activity caused loss of view and control between facilities and distribution system operators, destroyed data on human machine interfaces (HMIs), and corrupted system firmware on OT devices. While the affected renewable energy systems continued production, the system operator could not control or monitor them according to their intended design.

Further details are available in the Polish Incident Report.

We can see from the reports that the attacks weren’t based on new techniques but leveraged weaknesses and vulnerabilities in the victim’s edge devices that allowed the attacker to gain a foothold in the environment, from which they exploited misconfigurations and default settings to execute the attack.

The commonly recognized standards, like IEC 62443, if applied, should have highlighted the risks with the current configuration and the patching cycles.

The Internet-facing components, the edge, should have been patched regardless of the complications with the OT components behind it, which are more difficult to patch.

OT has often been considered the 'poor cousin' in terms of investment, and where connectivity is concerned, basic or entry-level devices for connectivity are suitable. With this often comes the additional notion that they don't need to be managed.

However, OT is now connected. It's a fact, and these connections should be protected by modern, comprehensive managed security, like LevelBlue’s SASE (or, if only cloud connectivity for centralized OT data collection, SSE).

Most importantly, these services should be purchased with appropriate contractual and service terms to ensure always-updated, consistently managed, secure services.

An Old and Familiar Problem and Answer

Misconfiguration, or default configuration, is not a new problem. It's probably safe to assume that this has been the case since the plants were commissioned.

Any regular risk review or survey should have picked up these issues, and organizations should consider separate risk assessment services like LevelBlue’s Cyber Advisory around OT to highlight risks to operational and technical teams and management.

Next, proper segregation and detection may also have helped within the environment, with modern OT security platforms able to recognize unusual behavior and commands within the environment, and this can be evaluated as part of a technology or architecture review and modernization with our advisory and OT services.

By taking these actions, organizations can create a plan that enables them to make critical changes and really change the way OT security is applied and risk managed.

Get Hungry for More Cybersecurity

Following on from my point that the biggest challenge in cybersecurity is a lack of appetite for businesses to acknowledge the risk of cybersecurity and change their practices to meet the changing and ever-growing risks.

I have witnessed organizations making bold, brave decisions in response to incidents that result in real changes to their security profile, but it would be far better to accept a higher level of outages, disruption, and investment.

Organizations still seem to be able to say, "We've had a cyber incident, and we're now going to modernize. Expect some more disruption as we do.”

This putting the horse before the cart type of thinking is antiquated, and security teams should make the proper inquiries beforehand.

What LevelBlue’s SASE and SSE Solutions Deliver

LevelBlue’s SASE approach helps organizations modernize network architecture to secure direct-to-cloud access while maintaining required data center connectivity. It also addresses today’s expanded attack surface across users, applications, and access paths. Because SASE is a security transformation, not just a deployment, LevelBlue delivers it through a structured, outcome-driven approach that reduces complexity and helps customers move from strategy to execution with confidence.

• We Meet Customers Where They Are: Every organization starts from a different place. LevelBlue uses readiness assessments and architectural reviews to identify gaps, validate dependencies, and align priorities.

• Design for Flexibility and Customer Choice: SASE is not one-size-fits-all. LevelBlue supports multi-vendor, best-of-breed architectures so customers can build a SASE ecosystem aligned to requirements, compliance needs, performance goals, and operating model.

• Guide the Entire Lifecycle, Not Just Deployment: LevelBlue supports the full lifecycle, from strategy and roadmap through design, implementation, policy tuning, compliance alignment, and ongoing optimization.

LevelBlue’s SSE technology can be used as a stand-alone service or as a client’s first step toward implementing a full SASE solution.

Our SSE delivers:

• Comprehensive Security: LevelBlue’s managed services and SSE technology provide a unified, robust security solution, including Secure Web Gateway (SWG), Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), and Firewall as a Service (FWaaS).

• Customized Solutions: As with SASE, LevelBlue tailors each security solution to the client’s unique needs, providing a full suite of security services delivered via the industry’s top SSE platforms.

• Expert Guidance: LevelBlue’s expert consultants and solutions engineers help clients navigate the complex SSE landscape, determine the best security solutions for their needs, and ensure smooth implementation and ongoing management.

• Cost Savings: By partnering with LevelBlue, clients can leverage their extensive experience and knowledge, reducing their organization’s cybersecurity labor and tool costs.

The lesson from Poland’s grid disruption is clear. Modern OT environments cannot rely on outdated assumptions or minimal protection. Proactive risk assessments, proper configuration, continuous monitoring, and managed SASE or SSE services are no longer optional.

By modernizing before the next incident, organizations can secure critical infrastructure and protect the communities that depend on it.