Cyber risks: Federal Council acknowledges NCS steering committee's annual report for 2013
Bern, 30.04.2014 - During its meeting today, the Federal Council acknowledged the 2013 annual report of the steering committee on the state of implementation of the national strategy for the protection of Switzerland against cyber risks (NCS). The annual report discusses current cyber threats, objectives and core NCS issues, and gives a general overview of implementation as well as detailed information on the status of the 16 measures, taking the cantons and Armed Forces into account, up to the end of 2013.
On 27 June 2012, the Federal Council adopted the national strategy for the protection of Switzerland against cyber risks as well as its 16-point implementation plan. It wants to use this in cooperation with public authorities, the private sector and operators of critical infrastructure to minimise the cyber risks with which they are confronted on a daily basis.
NCS implementation in full swing
The Federal Council is pursuing three main strategic objectives with the NCS, i.e. early identification of threats and dangers in cyberspace, improvement of the resilience of critical infrastructure and effective reduction of cyber risks. The NCS coordination unit, which is part of the Reporting and Analysis Centre for Information Assurance (MELANI), coordinates the implementation work. This unit monitors the implementation work, ensures all participants are involved and is committed to seeing that the shared goal of "security on the Internet" is pursued. Implementation is well under way and, together with the federal offices responsible for the 16 measures, the coordination unit has defined the target situation, milestones and schedule for each of the measures and set them out in a roadmap.
2013 NCS annual report
The NCS annual report for 2013 provides information on the current state of implementation of the 16 measures. Each lead unit with implementation responsibility has provided a brief report on the extent to which its measures had been implemented by the end of 2013. In the case of many measures, particularly in the areas of prevention and reaction, the first milestones had already been reached by the end of 2013.
For example, the necessary steps were taken to prepare a picture of the situation that provides information on cyber threats. Moreover, new organisational structures were created in the Confederation's participating administrative units in order to identify cyber threats quickly and increase the ability to act. The cooperation basis and uniform methods for the units involved were established so that the correct measures can be taken in the event of cyber attacks, thereby keeping the damage and repercussions as low as possible.
NCS steering committee
The Federal Council appointed an NCS steering committee last year so as to ensure that the implementation of the various milestones is conducted in a targeted and timely manner. The steering committee includes representatives of all federal units with lead responsibility for implementing at least one of the measures. The inaugural meeting took place on 30 October 2013.
However, NCS implementation commenced before 2013 and will end in 2017. Work and processes were already under way for many NCS measures before the NCS was adopted, but the mandate of these units was expanded or reassessed with the NCS.
Address for enquiries
Stefanie Frey, FITSU/NCS coordination unit
Tel. 031 32 40529, Stefanie.Frey@isb.admin.ch
Publisher
The Federal Council
https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start.html
Federal Department of Finance
https://www.efd.admin.ch/efd/en/home.html
Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports
http://www.vbs.admin.ch
