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The state government is concerned about the cyber attack on an important IT service provider for the Swiss security authorities. By hacking the Bernese Oberland «Homeland Security» specialist Xplain, data from federal and cantonal offices ended up on the Darknet.
The Federal Council has already met three times after the major attack. On Wednesday, he set up a new crisis management team called “data outflow.” All departments participate.
“It shouldn’t be possible anymore”
The crisis team must continuously analyze and assess the strategic situation, coordinate internal work, provide internal and external information and develop the basis for further decisions by the Federal Council.
“It must be ensured that this outflow of data does not continue and that something like this is no longer possible in the future,” said Federal Councilor Karin Keller-Sutter (59) for the media in Bern on Wednesday. That is actually the goal of this crisis team.
As early as mid-June, the Bundesrat decided to set up the crisis team, as it was called. The aim was to complement the extensive work on the operational side. Since then, the crisis team has met twice and submitted proposals to the Federal Council for further action.
The Federal Council approved the mandate for the crisis management team on Wednesday. All departments, the Federal Chancellery and a representative of the cantonal directors of justice and police (KKJPD) are involved in the crisis team. It is headed by the Secretary General of the Federal Ministry of Finance (FDF), Barbara Pretty Schmuki (52).
Data published on the dark web
Hackers had discovered a vulnerability with ransomware on the servers of IT service provider Xplain and stole data from the federal government. Not receiving a ransom, they published Federal Offices of Police (Fedpol) and Federal Offices of Customs and Border Protection (BAMF) data on the dark web on June 3. They posted even more operational data from the federal administration on the dark web about two weeks ago. The federal prosecutor’s office has started proceedings.
In addition, the Bundesrat has a mandate drawn up for an administrative inquiry. In addition, an independent body should check whether, where and why the safety requirements of the federal government have been poorly implemented. “Today we cannot answer how it was possible for such a provider to access such data,” Keller-Sutter said.
The Federal Council has also decided to review existing contracts with federal IT service providers. Cyber security must be improved and adapted so that the federal government can respond quickly to a hacker attack. He also wants to ensure that Xplain’s services for the federal government can in any case be guaranteed.
Three dozen researchers
And that’s not all: other studies are also being conducted. In addition to the Berne prosecutor’s office, not only the federal prosecutor’s office has opened criminal proceedings. The federal data protection officer is also investigating “due to signs of potentially serious violations of data protection regulations” by Fedpol and BAZG, the “Tages-Anzeiger” reports.
About three dozen specialists are currently elucidating the extent of the damage internally at Fedpol. The Bundesrat expects this to take several weeks to months. Because there are several million files. (SDA)
Source:Blick
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