It's the quality of the stolen data not so much the amount that counts for the control committee.
Keystone
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.
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
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.
Read more
More
Digital attacks strike Switzerland ‘all the time’
This content was published on
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,”…
This content was published on
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
This content was published on
Switzerland remains under-resourced in fighting the almost ‘daily’ cyber attacks targeting the country, said Defence Minister Guy Parmelin.
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.