The National Cybersecurity Centre (NCSC) is the Confederation's competence centre for cybersecurity and thus the first contact point for businesses, public administrations, educational institutions and the general public for cyberissues. It is responsible for the coordinated implementation of the national cyberstrategy (NCS). The NCSC is headed by the Federal Cybersecurity Delegate, Florian Schütz.
By setting up the NCSC as a unit of the General Secretariat in the Federal Department of Finance (FDF) in 2019, the Federal Council laid an important foundation stone for addressing the multifarious challenges in the cyberdomain. The Ordinance on Protection against Cyber Risks in the Federal Administration (CyRO) adopted by the Federal Council forms the legal basis for the creation and expansion of the NCSC, and regulates the structure, tasks and powers of the authorities involved. It has been in force since 1 July 2020.
Cybersecurity has grown hugely in importance at all levels in recent years. It plays a key role in national and international foreign and security policy, and is increasingly becoming an important factor both for the general public and for Switzerland as a business location. Ensuring cybersecurity has become an essential federal task.
Due to the growing importance of cybersecurity and thus the NCSC, the Federal Council decided in 2022 to transform the NCSC into a federal office and to locate it in the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS).
The transformation work is under way and will be completed by 1 January 2024. The federal office will continue to be led by Florian Schütz. On 24 May, the Federal Council appointed Florian Schütz as director of the new Federal Office for Cyber Security as of 1 January 2024.
