Because of the new proximity to the intelligence service?: The cyber specialists flee from the federal government

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The time has come at the beginning of 2024: the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity will start its work. Since the outbreak of war in Ukraine, the subject has also become more important in Switzerland. The number of hacker attacks continues to rise. Sensitive federal data is also affected.

A year ago, the Federal Council decided to locate the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity at the Ministry of Defense DDBS – and not at the Ministry of Finance, where the National Center for Cybersecurity NCSC was already located.

20 percent of employees have resigned

The decision has consequences, according to research by SRF: Since the decision of the Federal Council, 10 of the 48 employees at the NCSC have quit their jobs. Among them are six top-class cybersecurity specialists who are described as top players in the industry with many years of experience.

The six people worked in a cyber rapid response group with a total of nine employees. They would be used if a company, institution or government office vital to Switzerland, a so-called critical infrastructure, falls victim to a cyber attack.

Different perceptions of cybersecurity

The reason for the termination should be the switch to the VBS – with the future proximity to the intelligence service. Cybersecurity expert Martin Leuthold of the Switch Foundation says it involves a fundamentally different understanding of cybersecurity.

The intelligence service in the DDPS has an interest in leaving security holes in the network open and using them to obtain information: “The intelligence service is interested, and that is understandable, in obtaining as much information as possible as quickly as possible and with as little effort. to acquire. obstacles possible,” says Leuthold.

On the other hand, there are the cyber specialists in the current NCSC who want to close gaps quickly. Future work in the DDPS will lead to an ethical conflict among certain employees, says Leuthold: “This may be due to the fact that several operationally active people have drawn conclusions.”

Restore trust

And furthermore: with the departure, the federal government loses long-standing employees with a large national and international network who enjoyed the trust of the ‘community’. The goal of the future Federal Office must be to rebuild this trust.

Florian Schütz, future head of the Federal Cybersecurity Bureau, does not appear to want to confirm the reasons for the departure. These are very individual, he explains to SRF: “When organizational changes take place, it is also the time for many people to think about what they would like to do in their career.”

Cyber ​​specialist Leuthold is positive that the current leadership of the NCSC is moving to the new federal office. As a result, some of the vacant positions have already been filled. (dba)

Source:Blick