Swiss defense department was victim of cyber attack

Following a presentation on cyberespionage to his government's Federal Intelligence Service, Swiss defense minister Guy Parmelin revealed that his department – the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports – came under cyber attack.

While the attackers are as of yet unknown, the incursion into the department bares similarities to an earlier espionage attack in January on Ruag, a Bern-based technology company that supplies the country's military with munitions, Parmelin said in an interview on Wednesday with the Swiss daily Tages-Anzeiger. In that attack, data was siphoned out from the firm, which is wholly owned by the Swiss government, though the extent of the theft was unknown.

Parmelin said his department was able to mitigate the attack and restore operations. Ruag too has instituted additional security measures, though details were not available.