Cyberattack on Publica leaks data of federal pension scheme members

At the close of September, a software supplier serving Publica, a major Swiss public pension institution, suffered a cyberattack that resulted in the loss of data concerning insured members of the federal pension scheme. Publica promptly filed a criminal complaint and alerted the relevant federal authorities, prompting the Federal Prosecutor's Office to commence an investigation, although the scope of the compromised information has not been disclosed.

The pension fund, which covers employees of the federal administration and the ETH sector, has informed the affected insured persons about the breach, possible consequences, and the measures being taken. Publica also notified other customers and federal bodies, many of which confirmed they have no business relationship with the affected vendor. The incident underscores growing cybersecurity risks for public-sector service providers.