When a false report about mass military mobilization appeared on Poland’s official newswire last year, the panic that followed was swift and unsettling. The fabricated story claimed that Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk would soon draft 200,000 citizens. While it was quickly identified as a cyberattack, the story’s brief presence was enough to sway public opinion. This incident didn’t just expose a technical vulnerability – it exposed a social one.

In an age when information moves faster than the truth, two things have never been more essential: cybersecurity and media literacy. Both are pillars of a functioning democracy. Without secure systems and an informed public, democratic institutions risk becoming hollow, easily manipulated and widely doubted.

This raises an important question: What obligations does a democratic state have to protect not just the physical well-being of its people, but their informational safety as well?

Cybersecurity is no longer a niche concern for tech professionals.  It is a matter of national and personal security.

When a false alert can be sent through an official news channel, the entire social fabric is at risk. The state has a duty to safeguard the digital infrastructure that supports communication, public knowledge and electoral integrity. These aren’t abstract systems that influence how we learn, vote and ultimately, how we participate in the system as citizens. Therefore, when they’re compromised, so are we.

Technical protections alone are not enough. Media literacy — the ability to discern credible information from manipulation — is just as vital.

In a world where misinformation is often packaged with the same slick professionalism as truth, individuals need tools to critically evaluate what they consume. It’s not just about being skeptical, it’s about being empowered to ask: Who benefits from this narrative? Who created it and why?

But here’s the challenge: media literacy is often treated as a personal responsibility, while cybersecurity is left to institutions. What if we began to see both as collective responsibilities shared between the state and the citizen? The government must prioritize digital security, yes, but it must also invest in public education that fosters critical thinking and digital awareness from a young age. Protecting the nation means more than defending borders. It also means protecting minds.

As students and citizens in an era of hyperconnectivity, we must consider how much authority the state should have in controlling and filtering information in the name of national security. And in response, what responsibilities do individuals have to remain critically engaged with the information we consume? Do we have a plan of attack against the larger epidemic of disinformation? 

Ultimately, the Polish cyberattack reminds us that disinformation is not just a glitch. It’s a weapon.  In the face of that weapon, the best defense is not just stronger code, but stronger communities of informed citizens that are supported by a government that acts not out of control, but out of care.

If the state is to earn public trust, it must not only secure the platforms we rely on but also uphold its duty to equip us for the world we live in. A world where truth is contested and clarity is our most powerful shield.