The number of cyber attacks reported in Switzerland during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic was up to three times higher than normal. Figures from the Swiss National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), reported in the NZZ am Sonntag, show that cases in April were over 350 per week, well above the norm (100-150). Max Klaus, deputy head of the NCSC, told the newspaper that cyber attacks often come in such waves, especially during a “special event” like the coronavirus pandemic. Incidents have included phishing, fraudulent websites, or direct attacks on firms – including some high-profile recent cases such as the attempt to extort $6 million (CHF5.77 million) from Stadler rail by hackers who stole business documents. And this might just be the tip of the iceberg, Klaus says: as Switzerland does not legally obligate companies or individuals to report incidents, the figures could be much higher. Jewgeni Kaspersky, head of the Kaspersky cybersecurity lab, told the NZZ that he was not ...
