The defence ministry has had its knuckles rapped for failing to assert Switzerland’s interests in an investigation into a cyberattack on the Ruag technology company in 2016.
A parliamentary control committee said the ministry had not done enough to insist on a thorough analysis of the attack in the strategic planning of the state-owned company.
The theft of an estimated 20 gigabytes of sensitive data was a serious problem, the committee said in a report published on Tuesday.
The control body said both the government and the defence ministry had acted swiftly in the wake of the discovery of the data theft. However, Ruag had taken some time to realise the risks linked to the attack and to take appropriate measures.
The finance ministry, in charge of IT systems of the government administration, is currently examining ways to unbundle the computer networks of the defence ministry and the technology company.
The control committee said it might take until 2023 to complete the process amid calls for a partial privatisation of Ruag.
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Digital attacks strike Switzerland ‘all the time’
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Switzerland is particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks because of its high-tech infrastructure and financial services sector. A report published in 2015 by the professional service company, KPMG, stated that Swiss companies suffered losses of over CHF200 million ($201 million) due to cybercrime in 2014. “You are attacked all the time, but you just don’t know it,”…
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Last year, 14,033 cybercrime cases were reported to police in Switzerland, compared to 11,575 in 2015 and 5,330 in 2011. A survey from the firm KPMGExternal link released this week found that 88% of Swiss companies have experienced cyber-attacks in the past year compared to 54% in 2016. This might be just the tip of…
More cyberwarriors needed, says Swiss defence minister
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Switzerland remains under-resourced in fighting the almost ‘daily’ cyber attacks targeting the country, said Defence Minister Guy Parmelin.
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