Parliamentary elections to be held in 2023. The Internal Security Agency has been conducting security assessments since May

“In accordance with the Regulation of the Council of Ministers of April 12, 2012 on the National Interoperability Framework, minimum requirements for public registers and exchange of information in electronic form and minimum requirements for ICT systems, and the Act of July 5, 2018 on the national cybersecurity system […] all ICT systems of the National Electoral Office as an entity performing public tasks are subject to cyclical assessments of the security of ICT systems, carried out in accordance with the best practices periodically and each time before nationwide campaigns by the Internal Security Agency” – the National Electoral Office explains to us. As it adds, “the systems of the National Electoral Office are monitored as part of constant cooperation with Teams responding to threats and security incidents in cyberspace at the CSIRT national level.

The Internal Security Agency conducts a security assessment ahead of the parliamentary elections

Undersecretary of State Paweł Lewandowski asked the Marshal of the Sejm, Elżbieta Witek, whether the Ministry of Digitization plans to appoint special expert teams or advisory bodies to secure the IT infrastructure of the PKW/KBW and other state institutions before the parliamentary elections to be held in October 2023. In response, Elżbieta Witek explained that the CSIRT GOV team operating within the ABW structure, “at the end of 2022, started cooperation with the aim of verifying the security of ICT systems and networks used in the KBW”.

As we read further, as part of the cooperation undertaken, a security assessment has been carried out since the beginning of May 2023, “with particular emphasis on those systems that will be used in the election process”. The Marshal of the Sejm added that the security assessment is divided into several stages, and its completion is planned for the end of September 2023, “so that the KBW still has the possibility to implement the necessary corrections to eliminate the detected vulnerabilities.” In addition, “the CSIRT GOV team conducted a series of trainings in the field of cyber security and cyber hygiene for, among others, the KBW management staff, members of the National Electoral Commission and the entire KBW IT Team”.

Parliamentary elections 2023 and referendum in one day

are to take place on October 15, 2023. A referendum would also be held on the same day. The National Electoral Commission explained in one of its announcements that, in accordance with the regulations, a nationwide referendum may be held on the same day as parliamentary, presidential or European Parliament elections. Voting also takes place at the same polling stations. One and the same precinct commission is responsible for issuing the ballot papers and for the referendum. Importantly, the votes also go to one common ballot box.