Federal Council wants mandatory reporting of cyber attacks on critical infrastructure
The Federal Council has opened the consultation on the bill for the introduction of a reporting obligation for cyber attacks on critical infrastructures. The bill creates the legal basis for the reporting obligation and defines the tasks of the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC), which acts as the central reporting point for cyber attacks.
Cyber attacks have become a serious threat to security and the economy in Switzerland, the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) writes in a statement. Attacks on companies and authorities continue to take place almost daily, it said. On average, the NCSC receives more than 300 reports of successful or attempted cyberattacks almost every week.
More tasks for the NCSC
The reports to the NCSC were mostly made on a voluntary basis by companies, authorities and private individuals. As a result, the Federal Council wants to strengthen the reporting system. The operators of critical infrastructures are to be made more accountable for this. A reporting obligation is intended to ensure that the NCSC has a comprehensive and clear picture of the situation and can warn operators of critical infrastructures at an early stage.
The reporting procedure should be as simple as possible. All attacks that endanger the functioning of critical infrastructures or contain signs of extortion, threats or coercion are to be recorded. To capture these reports, the NCSC's electronic reporting form will be available. To that end, the NCSC would be tasked with alerting the public to cyberthreats. Additional anchoring of the reporting requirement in the Information Security Act (ISG) will also more firmly establish the duties and responsibilities of the National Cyber Center.
Source: NCSC
