The Swiss Federal Council is working towards streamlining the process of receiving support from the Armed Forces’ Cyber Command for the Federal Office of Cyber Security (BACS) during cyber incidents. The Council aims to facilitate faster and more efficient collaboration, particularly when time is critical during cyberattacks. This initiative follows a report on subsidiarity and cybersecurity, which was created in response to a postulate from the National Council’s Security Policy Committee. The report highlights the need for the creation of legal frameworks to simplify military assistance to BACS while preserving the separation between civilian and military responsibilities.
The report, titled “DDPS. Subsidiarity and Cybersecurity,” outlines the principle of subsidiarity and discusses the current challenges in mobilizing the Cyber Command’s support. Currently, military specialists can only be deployed to assist BACS in a critical cyber incident under the Armed Forces’ assistance service, which requires Federal Council approval. This decision-making process, while necessary, is slow and may hinder the swift deployment of specialized personnel when cyber incidents arise. The Federal Council is now exploring legal options to reduce this bottleneck and make military support more accessible in urgent cybersecurity situations.
Additionally, the report emphasizes that the protection against cyber risks is a shared responsibility among businesses, society, and the state. It also discusses cooperation between federal authorities and the cantons, as well as the division of cybersecurity tasks within the Department of Defense, Civil Protection, and Sports (DDPS). The Federal Council’s proposal to simplify the process would allow the BACS to request military support more quickly, similar to how the army is deployed during natural disasters like severe storms. The goal is to enhance the efficiency of the overall cybersecurity defense system in Switzerland.
The Federal Council has instructed the DDPS to submit options for the new legal framework by the end of 2026, aiming to simplify the procedures for military support in the cybersecurity sector. These changes will ensure that the BACS remains responsible for operations, while the Cyber Command assists when necessary. The Federal Council also emphasized that the new framework must safeguard confidentiality and prevent any potential conflicts between civilian and military interests during cyber operations.
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