Swiss intelligence agencies

The Swiss intelligence community is a group of agencies with responsibilities to protect the interests and infrastructure of Switzerland.[2]

Intelligence Service of the Federation
(in German) Nachrichtendienst des Bundes
(in French) Service de renseignement de la Confédération
(in Italian) Servizio delle attività informative della Confederazione
(in Romansh) Servetsch d'infurmaziun da la Confederaziun
Agency overview
JurisdictionFederal administration of Switzerland
Employees303[1]
Minister responsible
Parent agencyFederal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports
Websitewww.fis.admin.ch

History

The first federal military secret service was set in 1937, a few years before the outbreak of the Second World War. Up to that point, intelligence gathering was left to the responsibility of the police. [3]

Intelligence Service of the Federation

As of 1 January 2010, there is a new security policy instrument in Switzerland, the Intelligence Service of the Federation (FIS) (German: Nachrichtendienst des Bundes, NDB; French: Service de renseignement de la Confédération, SRC; Italian: Servizio delle attività informative della Confederazione, SIC; Romansh: Servetsch da las activitads infurmativs da la Confederaziun, SIC). The new service was created by merging the Service for Analysis and Prevention (DAP) with the Strategic Intelligence Service (SND). Through the use of synergies and consistent adjustment to the needs of the service recipients a powerful intelligence service was created which is adapted to meet modern requirements and which forms the future contact for all levels of the Confederation and the cantons.

Partners and service recipients

The partners and service recipients of the FIS are the political and military leaders, the federal administration, in particular the departments:

  • Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS)
  • Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP)
  • Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA)
  • Federal Department of Economic Affairs (FDEA).
  • Important partners are also the cantons, including 84 national security agents engaged by the Confederation.

Abroad the FIS maintains contacts to more than 100 intelligence, police and security services throughout the world. These bilateral and multilateral contacts have all been authorised by the Federal Council.

Organization

The FIS's activities and mandate were defined by statute in the Federal Civil Intelligence Act 1997

  • the FIS procures security policy relevant information about other countries and evaluates these
  • the FIS fulfils intelligence tasks relating to domestic security according to the STA
  • the FIS ensures a comprehensive assessment of the threat situation.

And according to the Federal Civil Intelligence Act

  • the FIS recognises and combats dangers relating to terrorism, illegal intelligence, violent extremism and proliferation and
  • identifies attacks against critical information infrastructure.

The thematic and geographic areas of interest are:

  • In Switzerland these are terrorism and violent extremism, proliferation, attacks against critical infrastructure and illegal intelligence activities.
  • Abroad, the FIS's thematic areas continue to be proliferation, terrorism, armed forces development, operational areas of our armed forces abroad as well as weapon technology and arms trade.
  • The geographic areas of interest continue to be Europe, Russia and the CIS states, the Near East and north Africa, the Middle East, Asia, the US and hot spots in Africa.

Publications

The Federal Intelligence Service produces an annual report called Switzerland's Security, available for download on the FIS website.

Budget

In 2017, the FIS' budget was CHF75.6 million.[1]

Military Intelligence Service

The Military Intelligence Service (German: Militärischer Nachrichtendienst; French: Service de renseignement militaire; Italian: Servizio informazioni militare) is the military intelligence branch of the Armed Forces.

Postal Service and Telecommunications Surveillance

The Postal Service and Telecommunications Surveillance (French: Surveillance de la correspondance par poste et télécommunication, SCPT; German: Überwachung Post- und Fernmeldeverkehr, ÜPF; Italian: Sorveglianza della corrispondenza postale e del traffico delle telecomunicazioni, SCPT; Romansh: surveglianza dal traffic da posta e da telecommunicaziun, STPT) is a service within the Federal Department of Justice and Police (since 1 January 2008) charged with coordinating wiretapping requests of the criminal investigation authorities.

International cooperation

FIS has collaborated with over 100 foreign intelligence agencies.[1] In 2017, the FIS received approximately 12,500 notifications from foreign intelligence agencies, and sent out 6,000.[1]

Controversies

In 2012, a senior IT technician stole crucial intelligence documents.

In 2014, an agent of the Federal Intelligence Services is involved in a hacking case against journalists acting for Giroud, the Swiss winemaker.

See also

References
  1. "Swiss secret service continues to expand". Swissinfo. 15 February 2018.
  2. "Federal Intelligence Service" (PDF). Swiss Confederation. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  3. https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss-spies_lifting-the-curtain-on-the-swiss-intelligence-service/43176432
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