According to the latest report from the Federal Office for Cybersecurity (OFCS), cybersecurity in Switzerland is facing increasing challenges. In fact, an incident is reported on average every 8.5 minutes, which equates to approximately seven incidents per hour. This worrying statistic highlights the scale of the digital threat in the country.
During the first half of 2024, the OFCS observed a significant increase in cyber threats, with 34,789 incidents recorded, almost double the number of cases recorded during the same period the previous year. This spectacular increase is mainly due to the increase in attempted fraud, which now represents two thirds of all advertisements, with 23,104 cases reported, according to this press release.
Fraudulent calls, allegedly made by official institutions, are becoming more and more frequent. In 13,730 cases, the criminals pretended to represent a Swiss authority and tried to push their victim to install software remotely on their device.
Phishing on the rise
Among the most concerning tactics, there is a significant increase in phishing emails, with 6,643 announcements in the first half of 2024, almost 2,800 more incidents than the previous year. Cybercriminals excel in the art of deception, using false announcements of parcel delivery and alleged reimbursements in the name of well-known companies, such as the SBB or various tax authorities.
A new form of phishing, called “Chain Phishing,” is gaining ground. This technique, working on the snowball principle, consists of sending phishing emails from hacked electronic mailboxes to all addresses registered there.
Towards better surveillance
Faced with this worrying situation, the authorities plan to strengthen monitoring of cyber threats. An obligation to report cyberattacks will be introduced during 2025 for operators of critical infrastructure, a measure which should provide a more precise vision of the situation.
It is interesting to note that almost 90% of spontaneous announcements to the OFCS come from individuals, the remaining 10% from companies. This distribution highlights the importance of raising public awareness of cybersecurity issues, while reminding us that businesses are not spared from these growing threats.
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