Implementation of national cyberstrategy proceeding successfully and to be strengthened further
Bern, 18.05.2022 - On 18 May 2022, the Federal Council took note of the report on the effectiveness assessment of the "2018-2022 national strategy for the protection of Switzerland against cyber-risks (NCS)" and decided to create a further 25 positions in the area of protection against cyber-risks.
The implementation of the current national cyberstrategy will be completed at the end of 2022. In the meantime, the strategy will be renewed and geared towards the current threat situation. This work will be based on the effectiveness assessment of the current strategy, which was carried out in the second half of 2021.
Positive verdict regarding the implementation of the strategy
The strategy and its implementation to date were assessed for effectiveness by external experts. The verdict was positive overall. It is being implemented according to plan and has led to decisive results. For example, standards and labels were developed together with the universities, and these help organisations to systematically check and improve their cybersecurity. With the creation of the National Test Institute for Cybersecurity in Zug, capabilities for analysing IT products in depth are being established in Switzerland, and with the proposal to introduce a reporting obligation, the Confederation has also drawn up a proposal on how cybersecurity can be improved by means of regulatory measures. Broad involvement of players from the cantons, the business community and universities is a key factor in the successful preparation and implementation of the NCS.
Recommendations for further development
The new national cyberstrategy is currently being drafted. In the process, the findings of the report will be incorporated to ensure that the future strategy can be even more effective. For example, the assessment process revealed that the strategy focused too much on critical infrastructures, large companies and national and cantonal authorities. Not enough of a direct impact was achieved for SMEs, communes and the general public. The experts also found potential for optimisation in implementation governance. In the future, governance must be adapted so that new measures can be decided upon and priorities can be set quickly and flexibly.
Further expansion of resources
Based on the results of the effectiveness assessment, the Federal Council has decided to further expand the resources for protection against cyber-risks. It has approved a total of 25 positions for this purpose, ten of which will be in the National Cybersecurity Centre, six in the Federal Intelligence Service, two in the Federal Office of Information Technology, Systems and Telecommunication, two in the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and five in specialist offices in various critical sectors (energy, transport, civil aviation, telecommunications and health). The foundations have thus been laid for the new edition of the NCS. It will once again be prepared with the extensive involvement of experts and will form the basis for Switzerland's joint, efficient and coordinated protection against cyberthreats.
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The Federal Council
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