Cyber attacks and espionage (in Switzerland)

Global superpowers have all develop concepts for cyberwarfare, and it is also true of China. In 2019, the Swiss Federal Intelligence Service “detected a record number of state-sponsored cyber attacks on Swiss interests, most of which were of Russian, North Korean, Chinese and Iranian origin.” (“Switzerland’s security 2020”). Universities are a key target for state sponsored groups of hackers and particular attention must be paid to protecting sensitive data and knowledge produced at research institutions.

According the Swiss Federal Intelligence Service: “Second to Russia, China’s espionage activities also represent a significant threat to Switzerland. The activity of Chinese intelligence services is evident in the stationing of intelligence officers not only under diplomatic cover, but also and in particular under non-official cover, such as officers who pose as researchers, students, tourists or business people. For China, espionage is a key element for internal stability, economic growth and the development of its defence capabilities.” (“Switzerland’s security 2020”).

UNIGE’s policy is to protect sensitive projects or information and strengthen the traceability of accesses to them. Projects and data can be classified following different categories of confidentiality, to which appropriate measures can be associated. Please refer to: https://memento.unige.ch/doc/0174/

If applicable, UNIGE's Committee for Ethical Research will assess your project.