Civil protection: renew alerting and communication
The alerting and telecommunications systems in civil protection must be renewed. The Federal Council has therefore decided on how to proceed. The DDPS must prepare a dispatch for a credit for a national secure data network.
The authorities and the command and emergency organizations in civil protection are essentially dependent on the use of public networks. Their security and availability is not guaranteed in every case. The Federal Council wants to eliminate these security deficits. To this end, it has taken note of a study commissioned by the DDPS in cooperation with representatives of the cantons and has decided on measures to be taken.
Power outage security and protection against cyberattacks
In order to increase the fail-safety of telecommunications systems and broadband data exchange of security authorities, command bodies and operators of critical infrastructures, as well as protection against cyber attacks, the Federal Council wants to establish a national secure data interconnection system. It consists of the wired secure data network (SDVN), the Polydata data access system and a data communications system to replace the outdated Vulpus system.
The DDPS was instructed to submit the dispatch on a corresponding commitment credit by the end of 2018 and to involve the cantons and other affected federal agencies in the process. The dispatch on the revision of the Civil Protection Act is also expected to be available at this time.
Location network Switzerland and wireless broadband communication
In the event of disasters and emergencies, the responsible authorities and command bodies need a situation picture that is as complete and reliable as possible as a basis for decision-making and command capability. At the moment, cantons, federal agencies, operators of critical infrastructures and other agencies with different electronic command and control systems are developing special overviews related to their respective tasks. In the future, it would make sense to combine this information in a national situation overview system. This would make it possible to provide all users with a consolidated situation picture.
The use of smartphones, tablets and laptops is now standard for blue-light organizations. For their operations, the authorities and the command and control organizations in civil protection need stable connections with guaranteed availability that are resistant to network congestion. In addition, not all of Switzerland is covered by commercial broadband services. An expansion of wireless broadband communications - based on existing public mobile radio infrastructures - could ensure the secure exchange of data for emergency organizations on the move as well. In contrast to the radio system used today, this would also enable the exchange of image data and access to databases in all situations, for example for tracing or other specialized applications.
For such a situation network system and wireless broadband communication, the Federal Council has instructed the DDPS to carry out further conceptual and technical clarifications together with the federal agencies concerned and the cantons. Source: Confederation
