Cyber-Defence Campus Conference 2022

This year’s Cyber-Defence (CYD) Campus Conference will take place in the Kursaal in Bern on 26 October 2022. The key issue of the Conference will be ensuring future digital infrastructures. The CYD Campus is looking forward to welcoming experts and interested parties from the government, business and science at this Conference.

Cyber Startup Challenge 2022

The Cyber Startup Challenge enters the third round. The Cyber-Defence Campus is looking for innovative technologies in the area of network discovery and security of IoT devices which could have a significant impact in the day-to-day operation of the Swiss Armed Forces. The solution will be integrated in the existing infrastructure. The technology does not need to be fully mature yet, but a convincing Proof of Concept (PoC) should be implementable within a year and with less than CHF 100'000. Registration is possible up to 31 August 2022.

As a result of the changing ecosystem and the increasing threat of cyber attacks in all spheres of life, the Swiss government has declared cyber security a central and national security concern.

The Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport DDPS thus adopted the first action plan for DDPS cyber defence (APCD) in 2016. In view of the rapid development of the cyber threat situation over the last five years, the new Strategy Cyber DDPS has been developed for the period 2021-2024, and is based on the action plan. Both the action plan and the new Strategy Cyber DDPS are coordinated with the overarching National Strategy for the Protection of Switzerland against Cyber Risks (NCS). As the focus of the Strategy Cyber DDPS, the Head of the DDPS, Federal Councillor Viola Amherd, defines the areas of activity and the corresponding distribution of tasks. The CYD Campus has the following three key tasks:

• Early identification of trends in the cyber area: This includes comprehensive technology and market monitoring, international scouting of startups and maintaining a cooperation network.
• Research and innovation of cyber technologies: Through the cooperation with universities and industry, emerging cyber risks are identified and innovative solutions developed to effectively counter threats in cyberspace. In addition, the CYD Campus aims to ensure and enhance the security and resilience of existing cyber systems.
• Training cyber specialists: At the CYD Campus, talents are educated at master, PhD and postdoc level, and academic interns are trained for future challenges. In addition, CYD Campus subject matter experts define and supervise numerous student projects.