Cybersecurity has become increasingly important at all levels in recent years. Back in 2019, the Federal Council laid an important foundation stone by creating the NCSC, which is part of the FDF General Secretariat. Since then, the NCSC has evolved considerably. Aside from expanding the GovCERT technical unit, it established a contact point for cyberincident reports from the general public and businesses, as well as a vulnerability management system. With around 40 employees, the NCSC performs core tasks in protecting Switzerland from cyberthreats. It provides critical infrastructure operators with support in the prevention and management of incidents, operates the national contact point for cybersecurity issues for the general public and businesses, and has been designated by the Federal Council as the central reporting office for the introduction of a reporting obligation for cyberattacks.

Growing significance of cybersecurity

With the growing significance of cybersecurity, the tasks of the NCSC are also becoming more extensive and important. Therefore, the Federal Council examined how the NCSC can be managed as an independent organisation in the future, analysing various options, such as outsourcing the NCSC from the central Federal Administration, establishing joint operation with the cantons or transforming the NCSC into a public-private partnership. It concluded that, as cybersecurity is an important task in terms of state policy, it should continue to be managed directly by a Federal Councillor. It also wishes to strengthen the NCSC and turn it into a Federal Cybersecurity Office.

Decision on structure and location by the end of 2022

With the fundamental decision on a federal office, the Federal Council instructed the FDF to work out by the end of 2022 how the future federal office should be structured and to prepare proposals regarding in which department it will be located. The Federal Council will then base its decisions on these proposals.

National Cybersecurity Centre to become federal office