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CRIME

Swiss Air Force data exposed in hacker attack on US firm

Documents from the Swiss Air Force, among others, have been exposed in a hacker attack on US security company Ultra Intelligence & Communications.

Published: 6 January 2024 18:55 CET
Code on a computer.
Code on a computer. Swiss Air Force documents been subject to a data breach on a US security firm. Photo by Jake Walker on Unsplash

In total, around 30 gigabytes of data, including classified documents, were stolen and have now appeared on the dark web, where anyone can access them. 

The hacked US company also supplies the Swiss Department of Defence (DDPS) and Swiss aerospace engineering and defence industry business Ruag with encryption and communication technology.

The documents that have surfaced on the dark web include a contract between the DDPS and the US company for almost five million dollars.

READ ALSO: Swiss administration hit by cyber attack

The contract is said to relate to the purchase of encrypted communications technology for the Swiss Air Force. 

The name ‘Ruag’ also appeared in the leaked documents, which seem to relate to technologies it has been acquiring from the US company since 2017.

The VBS confirmed the hacker attack to Swiss public TV SRF Investigativ.

“Ultra Intelligence & Communications informed Armasuisse and the Defence Group of the ransomware attack,” they said, adding that further investigations were underway.

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LAUSANNE

American tourist ‘violently attacked’ in Lausanne

A woman visiting from the United States was stabbed during a robbery attempt while sightseeing in the Swiss city of Lausanne.

Published: 19 June 2024 12:15 CEST
American tourist 'violently attacked' in Lausanne

The attack occurred at the end of May, but the Swiss media reported it on Tuesday.

The victim, in her 50s, was “violently” attacked by a man with a knife while sightseeing in the Old Town, according to Lausanne’s newspaper 24 Heures. The attempted robbery was confirmed by local police.

The tourist was stabbed in the shoulder as the assailant tried to flee with her bag.

A local shopkeeper said she was “alerted by cries of distress in English” and witnessed the victim “lying on the ground and trying to defend herself against a man who was attacking her. The scene was extremely violent.”

Even though passersby attempted to intercept the attacker, he managed to escape.

He was, however, caught and arrested shortly thereafter. Police said the perpatrator was known for prior criminal acts.

This was the second case of a brutal attack in Switzerland  against a US tourist in a span of several months.

In February, an American woman was raped and beaten in Geneva. 

The suspect in that case lived in France and, according to the Geneva prosecutor’s office, was arrested “outside Switzerland.” 

Does this mean the two cities are unsafe for tourists?

Lausanne police said that no incidents “targeting tourists in particular” have been reported in the Vaud capital.

But reading about these attacks probably doesn’t fill you with confidence regarding your personal security in Switzerland.

Still, you should put these unfortunate incidents in perspective.

That’s because Switzerland consistently ranks among the least risky nations in the world, both in terms of personal safety and overall crime rate.

Not only is crime limited in scope, but other statistics also indicate that, in comparison with other countries, Switzerland is very safe.

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