About Cyber-Defence Campus
The Cyber-Defence Campus (CYD Campus) was founded in January 2019 by armasuisse Science and Technology as a reaction to the cyberattack against RUAG. This cyber incident was a wakeup call in Switzerland and in 2017, the head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) issued a cyberdefence action plan with the goal to strengthen Switzerland's defense posture in the fight against cyber threats. Part of this Action Plan for Cyber-Defence (APCD) was the creation of the CYD Campus with the mission to anticipate cyber developments, to monitor trends, and to develop the required skills and technologies for cyberdefence.
With this mission in mind, the CYD Campus provides the DDPS with an anticipation and knowledge platform for identifying and assessing technological, economic and societal cyber trends. In order to be able to cooperate and collaborate with acedemia, government and industry, the CYD Campus is located at three sites: At its main site in Thun (armasuisse Science and Technology), at the EPFL in Lausanne and near the ETH in Zurich. This allows it to efficiently build know-how and provide cyber expertise, according to the needs of the Swiss Confederation. The CYD Campus therefore acts as a nexus between the private sector, the public sector and the academic community.
Our Mission
In the orientation of the Cyber Strategy DDPS, the Head of DDPS, Federal Councillor Viola Amherd, defines the fields of action and the corresponding distribution of tasks. The CYD Campus is responsible for the following three tasks in order to strengthen Switzerland’s cyberdefence:
Early Identification of
Trends in the Cyber Sector
This includes comprehensive technology and market monitoring, international scouting of startups and the fostering of a collaboration network.
Research and Innovation of
Cyber Technologies
Through collaboration with academia and industry, emerging cyber risks are identified and innovative solutions are developed to effectively counter threats in the cyber space. In addition, the CYD Campus aims to ensure and enhance the security and resilience of existing cyber systems.
Training of
Cyber Specialists
At the CYD Campus, talents at Master, PhD and postdoc level as well as university interns are trained for future challenges. In addition, CYD Campus experts define and supervise numerous student projects.
Read more about the CYD Campus in our annual report from 2022: