Implementation plan adopted for national cybersecurity strategy

On 15 May 2019 the Federal Council adopted a plan to implement the national strategy to protect Switzerland against cyber risks (NCS) until 2022 and took additional steps towards the establishment of a cybersecurity competence centre.

The Federal Council's press release is available in German, French, Italian and English. The implementation plan is also available in German, French and Italian.

The implementation plan defines responsibilities within the federal administration and describes the tasks of the departments concerned. The measures include:

• new minimum standards for IT security;
• obligations to report cyber incidents; and
• the creation of an interdepartmental pool of cybersecurity experts within the cybersecurity competence centre.

Work is also underway to develop a cyber-defence campus and strengthen capabilities relating to information acquisition and allocation. The Cyberboard, which was created in 2018 to coordinate criminal prosecutions, is also in the process of defining a system to provide an overview of cybercrime offences committed in Switzerland.

Further, financial resources will be increased and 24 positions will be filled in federal offices responsible for cybersecurity from 2020. As an integral part of the cybersecurity competence centre, the federal Reporting and Analysis Centre for Information Assurance (MELANI) will also be given human and financial resources in order to:

• provide information on cyber risks and civil alerts; and
• assist companies and the general public in the case of cyber incidents.

The NCS steering committee comprises representatives from the cantons, business community and universities, and will monitor the execution of the implementation plan, which allows Switzerland to set a clear framework for its cyber-risk strategy. The practicalities of its implementation and the potential difficulties that may be encountered remain to be addressed.

For further information on this topic please contact Jürg Schneider or Christophe Gösken at Walder Wyss by telephone (+41 58 658 58 58) or email (juerg.schneider@walderwyss.com or christophe.goesken@walderwyss.com). The Walder Wyss website can be accessed at www.walderwyss.com.