Problems

$ 6 trillion (9 times Switzerland’s GDP) : estimated cost of global cybercrime in 2021, compared to $ 3 trillion in 2015.

Solutions

According to EPFL’s Center for Digital Trust, three pillars are necessary to establish a climate of trust in a dematerialized world : cybersecurity ; transparency of distribution and storage processes ; and protection of privacy, to ensure that personal, medical or financial information, for example, is not disclosed to unwanted third parties. One of the major innovations is blockchain technology, which makes it possible to offer secure digital services, such as trade contracts, rights management or custody accounts, for example. In the future, the emergence of quantum computers will revolutionize services that are sensitive to large-scale data processing, such as finance, R & D, health and cyber security.

Strenghts

Switzerland has a long tradition of activities based on trust and long-term stability : banks and insurance companies of course, but also the security and data sectors (digital, health, intellectual property etc.) and international organizations. Trust is an integral part of the Swiss brand abroad. It is also a characteristic of internal relations : according to an OECD study in 2017, almost 80% of Swiss citizens trust the federal government, almost double the average for OECD countries !

Switzerland is home to some very powerful companies in the security sector. With 89,000 employees, CHF 6.6 billion in revenues and CHF 810 million in cash flow, the Geneva-based SGS Group is today a world leader in the fields of control and certification, in connection with the marketing and transport of goods. dormakaba is one of the world leaders in access systems with 15,000 employees. The very discreet Lausanne-based SICPA dominates the world market for secure inks for bank notes and sensitive documents, such as passports. It also offers digital authentication and traceability services. The main sectors of the Swiss ecosystem are cybersecurity, authentication, access control, artificial intelligence, anti-counterfeiting, data confidentiality, blockchain, traceability, GDPR, forensic services, authenticity verification and quantum security.

Challenges

The costs associated with cybercrime are enormous. They include data damage and destruction, stolen money, lost productivity, intellectual property theft, theft of personal and financial data, post-attack disruption of the normal course of business and reputation damage. Our vulnerability to attack increases as data becomes more digitalized. This is the most critical information of individuals, organizations and also connected infrastructures and objects. The future digitization of paper documents by blockchain will reinforce the importance of digital security.

Ambition 2030

• Cybersecurity cluster in the top three in Europe and 10 worldwide

• Top five worldwide for the digitization of government services (Global Innovation Index)

• Three companies valued at more than CHF 1 billion