In a major cyberattack, cyber blackmailers have stolen and published a comprehensive dataset containing information about subscribers to Swiss Review, a federal government magazine that keeps Swiss citizens abroad informed about developments in their home country. The dataset includes over 425,000 addresses, comprising 40% postal addresses and 60% email addresses.
The theft occurred as a by-product of a ransomware attack on two Swiss publishing houses, NZZ and CH Media, carried out by a criminal organization called “Play.” The Swiss government, while acknowledging the severity of the incident, emphasizes that no personal data beyond addresses was compromised.
The attack has raised concerns about the security of Switzerland’s e-voting system, which was recently reintroduced. Previous cyberattacks targeting Swiss publishers and an IT company have also exposed sensitive data, prompting calls for improved security measures.
Although the Swiss Review data theft is not directly related to e-voting, it may affect confidence in the security of state IT systems. Additionally, the incident highlights the potential for targeted election advertising using the purchased dataset, which includes the addresses of Swiss citizens abroad.
While experts believe the theft will not impact the e-voting debate directly, the enthusiasm of the Swiss Abroad, who form a significant lobby for e-voting, may be diminished as a result.
