Swiss space firm Beyond Gravity target of cyberattack

Space company Beyond Gravity was the target of a cyberattack Keystone-SDA

Beyond Gravity, the Swiss state-owned aerospace supplier, has fallen victim to a targeted cyberattack.

According to the company, a highly professional actor is believed to be behind the attack.

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Beyond Gravity announced on Friday that it had received the first indications of malicious activity in its IT environment on August 12. The investigation is being carried out in collaboration with the Federal Office for Cyber Security and the IT security firm Mandiant.

As of Friday, it was not known who was behind the attack. The company has filed a criminal complaint and stepped up its security measures, the statement added.

Experts were specifically searching for the attackers’ activities and carrying out forensic analyses of the affected devices, a company spokesperson told the AWP news agency.

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The company did not issue a statement until several weeks after first indications of an attack emerged. In the case of cyberattacks, thoroughness takes precedence over speed, said the spokesperson. Issuing a statement prematurely would have jeopardised the forensic investigations.

Beyond Gravity is owned by the Swiss state. The company was spun off from the defence group Ruag in 2022.

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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.