Safe behaviour on the internet – also on Black Friday

Study on the cybersecurity of Swiss internet users in 2023

A representative survey of over 1,200 people in Switzerland between August and September provided important insights into attitudes and behaviour towards cyber risks. The study shows that hacking and cyberattacks are becoming increasingly clever and frequent. The average household already has seven devices connected online that are potential targets, and this number is expected to rise. Employers play an important role in raising awareness, but this measure does not reach the most affected age group (65+) sufficiently. This group tends to rely on traditional media and their personal environment. Although 86% of respondents feel safe online and 68% rate their skills as good, 31% use the same password for almost all online services. The most common consequences of cyberattacks are financial losses, data loss and violations of personal rights.

The survey was carried out on behalf of the Swiss Mobiliar Insurance Company Ltd, digitalswitzerland, Allianz Digitale Sicherheit Schweiz, the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland FHNW – Digital Transformation Competence Centre, the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences SATW and Swiss Internet Security Alliance (SISA).

Read the study in German.

Read the press release in German, French and Italian.

Read the press conference presentation in German.

To download the infographics of the study, please navigate to internet-sicherheit.ch.

Study on digitalisation and cybersecurity in SMEs 2023

8 out of 10 SMEs entrust their digital infrastructures to external IT service providers and also seek advice from them in the area of cybersecurity. However, there is hardly any progress in the implementation of measures to protect against cybercrime. The results of the latest study on digitalisation and cybersecurity in SMEs make it clear: the more companies identify themselves as digital pioneers, the more often they implement technical and organisational measures to strengthen cybersecurity in their company. However, while in previous years around one fifth of the SMEs surveyed always saw themselves as digital pioneers, in 2023 this figure is only around one tenth.

The survey was carried out on behalf of the Swiss Mobiliar Insurance Company Ltd, digitalswitzerland, Allianz Digitale Sicherheit Schweiz, the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland FHNW – Digital Transformation Competence Centre and the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences SATW.

Read the study in German. For further analysis, read the Whitepaper in German, French and Italian.

Read the press release in German, French and Italian.

Read the press conference presentation in German.

Study on digitalisation and cybersecurity in SMEs 2022

With the propagated “end” of the pandemic, the flexibility of SMEs is also coming to an end. Primarily working from home has not become established, as the results of the latest study on digitalisation and cybersecurity in SMEs show. The situation is similar with cybersecurity: despite a strong presence in the media, the topic has a low priority among the companies surveyed. The implementation of organisational and technical measures to improve cybersecurity has also not increased. One third of the surveyed SMEs outsource their IT security to external service providers. The quality of the services offered is thus crucial for the security of small businesses in Switzerland.

The survey was carried out on behalf of the Swiss Mobiliar Insurance Company Ltd, digitalswitzerland, Allianz Digitale Sicherheit Schweiz, the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland FHNW – Digital Transformation Competence Centre and the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences SATW.

Read the study in German. For further analysis, read the Whitepaper in German, French and Italian.

Read the press release in German, French and Italian.

Read the press conference presentation in German.

In the summer session from 30 May to 17 June 2022, there are once again more than 50 items on the agenda relating to digital policy – many of them from the fields of e-government and cybersecurity.

The complete review is available in the national languages German and French.

With the cybero quick test, you will find out whether your company is sufficiently protected against cyber risks.

36%
of Swiss SMEs have already been the victim of a cyber attack*.

15%
of Swiss SMEs consider the risk of being suspended for a day due to a cyber attack to be high or very high*.

56%
of SMEs consider the topic of cyber security to be important for their company.*

*Source: Home office and cyber security in Swiss SMEs (only in German) commissioned by Die Mobiliar, digitalswitzerland, FHNW Hochschule für Wirtschaft, SATW; conducted by gfs-zürich. November 2021

In addition to the SME CyberCheck, we have developed the Cybersecurity Guide for SMEs. This guide shows you practical recommendations and provides further information on the topic of cybersecurity.

Important background information on the SME CyberCheck.

Why is a risk profile important when dealing with cyber risks?

With the SME CyberCheck, you create your own IT risk profile. This makes it easier for you to detect and better assess possible risks.

How do I act in view of the risks?

• Prevent: e.g. training, antivirus software
• Reduce: e.g. emergency plan, backup
• Transfer: e.g. by means of a cybersecurity insurance policy

How do I ensure that my company does not fall victim to cybercrime?

Use the technical and organisational expertise of a CyberSeal-certified service provider to protect your company from cyber attacks.

The Cybersecurity quick check is supported by the following partners.

The reporting obligation is important, but still needs clarification

digitalswitzerland considers the introduction of a reporting obligation for operators of critical infrastructures in the event of cyber attacks to be an important and correct step. The Federal Council’s proposal still needs to be clarified in some points so that ambiguities can be avoided.

Read the media release in German or French.

The full statement is only available in German.

Media contact
Andreas W. Kaelin, digitalswitzerland, Office Bern
Phone +41 31 311 62 45 │ andreas@digitalswitzerland.com

Bern/Zurich, 18.03.2022 – In an increasingly digitalised society, cybersecurity has become a key issue. This is particularly true for the protection of critical infrastructures. The Federal Council wants to make improvements here and is therefore conducting a consultation on two legislative proposals at the same time. The submission deadline for the first, the targeted amendment to the Ordinance on Telecommunications Services (OTS) to protect telecommunications infrastructures and services, ends today. The digitalswitzerland association welcomes the revision and proposes individual adjustments for clear and efficient implementation.

Read the press release as web version in German (Download PDF) | in French (Download PDF)
To the complete statement on the Amendment of the Ordinance on Telecommunications Services (OTS) (available in German)

Contact for further information:
Andreas W. Kaelin, digitalswitzerland | Bern Office
Tel. +41 31 311 62 45 │ andreas@digitalswitzerland.com

The ePower parliamentary group discussed the highly topical and virulent subject of cyber security at its traditional session event on Tuesday evening. National Councillor Franz Grüter, member of the ePower core team, welcomed top-class representatives from politics, administration, business and science. The cross-party audience agreed: cyber security is the order of the day.

The evening was opened by none other than Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer. The head of the Federal Department of Finance left no doubt about the importance of the topic: the cyber threat is one of the four main risks for Switzerland.

The complete article is available in the national language German and French.