Cybersecurity in Organisational Units of the Orthodox Church - Training

On May 27, 2026, an online training session was held on cybersecurity and the protection of personal data in the operations of church organisations. The event was organised as part of a collaboration between the President of the Personal Data Protection Office and the Church Data Protection Officer of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church, carried out pursuant to a signed agreement.

The training was aimed at data protection officers, clergy, staff, and volunteers from various organisational units. Over 100 people attended the meeting. The event was moderated by Jakub Groszkowski, Legal Advisor to the President of the Personal Data Protection Office and Chief Coordinator for Data Protection in Churches and Religious Organisations.

The meeting was opened by Mirosław Wróblewski, President of the Personal Data Protection Office, who, in his welcome remarks, emphasised the importance of raising awareness of digital threats and ensuring the responsible processing of personal data within religious communities.

During the meeting, attorney Grzegorz Leśniewski discussed the practical aspects of cybersecurity and risk management in church organisations. His presentation covered, among other topics, phishing, ransomware, social engineering, AI-related threats, and ways to mitigate risk through education, the use of multi-factor authentication, and appropriate security procedures.

Dr. Tomasz Wierzchowski presented issues related to cybersecurity within the parish context of the Orthodox Church. The discussion covered the protection of parishioners' data, the security of parish offices, communication on social media, the protection of parish finances, and guidelines for responding to cybersecurity incidents.

The training concluded with a summary and discussion of the key takeaways led by Jakub Groszkowski and Rev. Dr. Andrzej Lewczak, the Church's Data Protection Officer at the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church.