Data security breaches set to rise in 2026
Keystone-SDA
Data security breaches in Switzerland have surged in 2026, with the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC), Adrian Lobsiger, reporting 455 incidents so far this year.
There were 343 such incidents throughout 2025. However, the actual number of incidents is likely to be significantly higher, as there are a large number of unreported cases, he said in an interview with the Swiss German weekly Sonntagsblick.
Following the cyberattack on a software provider used by several Swiss pension funds, the IFPDT launched a formal investigation last week. The investigation is currently focused on the external IT provider. In the interview, however, Lobsiger did not rule out extending the proceedings to federal bodies and pension funds at a later stage. For reasons relating to the confidentiality of the investigation, he was unable to provide further details on the specific case.
The IFPDT did, however, emphasise that the interconnection of data and the elimination of data silos increase the risk of security breaches. Furthermore, it must be ensured that only data that is strictly necessary is transmitted and that work is carried out preferably using anonymised test data.
In the interview, Lobsiger went on to describe the threat posed by artificial intelligence as “real”. However, an analysis of the causes of reported attacks reveals that, in the vast majority of cases, the weak point is not the technology itself, but human error.
+ How we produce news in English
Translated from Italian, reviewed by an English Department journalist.
