Cyber-Defence Campus: Strengthening Switzerland’s Cyber Defence

The emergence of new cyber technologies is also accompanied by new threats and impacts. The Cyber-Defence Campus  is publishing an Open Access study on this topic for the second time. This highlights the risks and challenges which arise through the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in cyber security. The study helps experts and decision-makers from public administration and industry in assessing the risks of use and the development of security measures.

During the Locked Shields 2024 cyber defense exercise in April this year, the Swiss team used the SCION network architecture to connect to the exercise infrastructure in Estonia. The Cyber-Defence Campus supported the Swiss team in creating the SCION connection.

The Cyber Defence Campus organized an Innovation Day for stakeholders from the Confederation and cantons on 15 May 2024. This was very well received: over 100 participants took part in the event.

In response to the increasing complexity of cyber security at the national level, the Cyber-Defence Campus was commissioned with the pilot project «Cyber Training @ Cyber-Defence Campus». The pilot project was launched in connection with the National Cyber Strategy (NCS) of the Federal Council. The aim of the project is to bring together various organizations of national importance as a community and to provide them with a well-founded range of cyber training courses. These exercises are primarily aimed at cantonal and federal authorities, police units and critical infrastructures and are designed in close cooperation with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). Synergies with industry and the Swiss Armed Forces Cyber Training Range are also utilized.

The collaboration between Dr Vincent Lenders, Head of the Cyber Defence Campus and Dr David Gugelmann of Exeon Analytics, has helped to further advance the development of the Confederation's cyber security. Exeon Analytics' software aims to significantly reduce the amount of time cyber attackers can operate undetected in networks. The idea for Exeon Analytics was born during Dr Gugelmann's doctoral thesis at ETH Zurich, which was supervised by Dr Lenders.

As part of its innovation activities, the Cyber Defence Campus is investigating the potential of various smartphone security technologies. Through such investigations, the CYD Campus provides a great deal of support when it comes to cyber security in Switzerland. Among other things, one of these innovation projects focuses on security in the use of smartphones.