Chinese firms stole sensitive data from Swiss-based competitor
Swiss investigators have broken up a Chinese industrial spying scheme that stole hundreds of sensitive documents from a technology company in Switzerland, reports the SonntagsZeitung newspaper. Prosecutors confirmed that a technician was fined for his part in the affair.
The SonntagsZeitungExternal linkreports that the victim of this case was a Swiss subsidiary of the Dutch company BesiExternal link, which manufactures machines that make computer chips. The perpetrators were an unknown number of unnamed Chinese companies that used two Singapore-based agents to infiltrate the Swiss branch of the Besi firm, according to the article.
It states that an IT manager at Besi Switzerland posted and e-mailed some 700 secret documents from the company to Singapore, which were then sent to China. He was paid CHF35,000 ($35,000), a sum he was later fined after he was caught.
In an e-mailed response to swissinfo.ch enquiries, the Swiss Office of the Attorney GeneralExternal link (OAG) confirmed some details of the case. But the OAG redacted the names of the convicted IT support manager, the company involved, the perpetrators and where they were based.
Swiss money laundering office registers record number of reports
This content was published on
The Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland (MROS) registered a record number of reports of suspicious activity last year.
Two teens accused of planning terror attack released from custody
This content was published on
The Schaffhausen judiciary has released the two teenagers from custody who allegedly planned bomb attacks in Switzerland.
OECD: Sluggish economic activity slowing growth in Switzerland
This content was published on
Sluggish economic activity at the start of the year is weighing on growth in Switzerland, with GDP expected to fall to 1.1% in 2024.
Report finds mistakes which led to Swiss government data breach
This content was published on
Mistakes were made by both the government and internet company Xplain in the case of a criminal cyber-attack on the Bern-based IT business.
Swiss government wants better gender balance in federal administration
This content was published on
New Swiss government personnel management targets say there must be even more female managers in the federal administration.
Swiss national science foundation funded over 5,000 projects in 2023
This content was published on
In 2023, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) provided a total of CHF961 million worth of funding towards research projects.
Switzerland invites 160 delegations to June Ukraine peace talks
This content was published on
Russia is currently not among the delegations invited to talks aimed at helping bring about peace in the conflict between Moscow and Ukraine.
Survey: air travel most popular way to go on holidays for Swiss
This content was published on
Despite the climate crisis, flying is the most popular mode of transport for private travel – particularly among young, urban and high-income travellers.
Swiss government to use phone data to identify asylum seekers
This content was published on
From April 2025, authorities plan to be able to analyse data from mobile phones, computers and other data carriers to identify asylum seekers.
Spying, terrorism and the far-right worry Swiss authorities
This content was published on
Russian spying activity in Switzerland continues at a high level, while economic espionage by China is also a leading concern, say authorities.
Swiss minister keeps eye on Chinese company takeover policy
This content was published on
But Schneider-Ammann is more optimistic than other ministerial colleagues that the situation will improve. Last month, Communications Minister Doris Leuthard told the Aargauer Zeitung newspaper that Switzerland should insist on reciprocity, pointing to a tough line taken on the issue in Germany. “We must do what Germany did many years ago, which is hold a…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.