The BACS and the SIA focus on cyber security at Swissbau 2026
At the Swissbau 2026 trade fair for the construction and real estate industry in Basel from January 20 to 23, 2026, the Federal Office for Cyber Security (BACS) and the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects (SIA) will be focusing on cyber risks in the construction and real estate industry. Various events will highlight the increasing threat posed by cyber attacks and provide companies with specific recommendations for cyber security along the supply chain.
Picture: Depositphotos/maxkabakov
In the construction industry, cyber security is not only a technical task, but also an organizational and partnership-based one. Cyber resilience begins where risks are openly addressed, responsibilities are clarified and protective measures are consistently implemented. This is why the Federal Office for Cyber Security (BACS) and the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects (SIA) are jointly focusing on cyber security in the construction and real estate industry at various events as part of the Swissbau 2026 trade fair.
Cybersecurity you can touch
Florian Schütz, Director of the BACS, Christoph Starck, Managing Director of the SIA, and Andreas Albrecht, Zurich Site Manager of Uniola AG, will discuss the relevance of the supply chain as a point of attack. The discussion will focus on how cyber criminals exploit the trust between planning, execution, material delivery and operation in order to carry out cyber attacks. Florian Schütz explains what to look out for when selecting suppliers and partners with regard to cyber risks.
Visitors can also experience the defense against cyber attacks in a playful and practical way in various workshops. In the cyber security role play developed jointly by the SIA and the BACS, which uses real scenarios from the construction industry, situations and decision-making processes in the event of cyber attacks can be practiced.
Preparation for cyber attacks thanks to emergency concept
Cybersecurity in smart buildings is highlighted at a themed event. It will become clear that although networked building technology creates efficiency and convenience, it also brings with it new security requirements. Together, the BACS and the SIA will show how prevention, awareness-raising and emergency planning must work together so that building technology does not become a gateway in an emergency or can no longer fulfill its operational purpose. Additional emphasis is placed on the emergency concept, which is intended to help companies prepare for cyber incidents in a structured manner, as well as on the implementation of «Secure by Design» in software development. The questions that clients should ask in order to clearly regulate responsibilities in the supply chain will also be discussed.
