MEDIA RELEASE
After a successful virtual edition, the Swiss Cyber Security Days will return to Forum Fribourg on April 6 and 7, 2022. With the lead topic “Cyber: the fifth dimension”, the exciting and broad-based program promises numerous new insights into the increasingly serious security gaps for society and individuals in the cyber domain.
One clear lesson is that the Covid-19 pandemic is not only the biggest digitalization accelerator but also a crime accelerator. The number of known serious security breaches in Switzerland has more than doubled since the outbreak of the pandemic, from over 42,000 in 2019 to almost 114,000 at present. On the first day, the federal cyber security delegate, Florian Schütz, will highlight the priorities and scenarios as part of the National Strategy to Protect Switzerland from Cyber Risks. In addition, Nathalie Gratzer, project manager at the Federal Office for National Economic Supply BWL, will provide information on the protection of critical infrastructures in Switzerland. Major General Alain Vuitel, Cyber Command of the Swiss Armed Forces, will shed light on the topic of cyber from a military perspective. Federal Prosecutor Stefan Blättler will show how cybercriminals are prosecuted in Switzerland and abroad, and National Councillor Judith Bellaiche knows that cyber security is now also increasingly becoming the focus of political demands.
Representatives from Geneva’s Cyber Peace Institute will highlight the extent to which the healthcare sector is exposed to cyberattacks and how malicious actors have taken advantage of the critical situation during the pandemic and launched a series of campaigns and ransomware attacks. International protection organizations such as the ICRC were not spared, where cyber operations can have significant humanitarian consequences, not least when services essential to civilians are also disrupted. At the already traditional panel of the World Economic Forum (WEF), chaired by board member Alois Zwinggi, the international cyber situation will be discussed with representatives of international organizations (including Europol) and the cyber officer of Swiss Re, Maya Bundt.
SMEs, Cyber Safe and Cyber Space
The second day is dedicated to SMEs, whose rapidly increasing dependence on IT systems and data also requires increased protection against cyber threats. Among other things, the cybersecurity label Cyber Safe, developed by a non-profit organization, will be presented as a way to address these challenges. A high-level panel will highlight the label’s benefits, including an affordable path to robust cybersecurity, a reliable cybersecurity assessment for insurers, and increased credibility for IT vendors.
In the afternoon, Innosuisse Vice President and Rector of the School of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland (HES-SO), Luciana Vaccaro will join start-ups to demonstrate the great potential of innovative developments in Switzerland and present the “Cyber Security Award” together with Tech4Trust. In addition to new developments on the Internet, an international panel, also led by the WEF, will be the highlight of the day. The exciting thematic focus will be “Cyber in Space”. High-ranking international representatives will bring visitors up to date on the latest knowledge regarding cyber in this sensitive area. The names of the panelists will be announced at a later date.
Technical inputs and insights
The Expert Tracks on a separate stage will feature numerous technical inputs and insights with experts from Switzerland and abroad. Fil Rouge of this stage will be “A Virtuous Cyber Security Chain” with three heavyweights: Anticipation, Defense, and Governance. Once again, it will be made clear that nothing is safe and all data is at risk. The goal is to highlight the importance of security and risk management and a clear picture of the challenges. Furthermore, malicious parties will be identified and the consequences of attacks will be shown. During the two days, the Expert Tracks will highlight the requirements for cybersecurity as well as the preparation and responsibility of the management. These Expert Tracks are designed to provide security managers with practical solutions to concretely improve the protection of the organizations for which they are responsible.
The Swiss Cyber Security Days
As the Swiss platform for cyber security, the Swiss Cyber Security Days have set themselves the goal of presenting essential topics that represent the relevant challenges in the field of cyber in our society. The focus is on politics, the economy, education, and research. All stakeholders should find the national platform for information exchange, inspiration, and meetings with the leading experts in cyber security. The SCSD focuses on the core values of transparency, knowledge transfer, open communication, and discussion. In addition to an adapted concept with a combination of exhibition space and conference rooms on one level, the visitor guidance for SCSD2022 will also be optimized with an online platform and the knowledge transfer will be better integrated.