National strategy for the protection of Switzerland against cyber risks 2018-2022 4.10 Public impact and awareness raising Description Overview of sphere of action The rapid development and increase in cyber risks is creating uncertainty in the population and the economy. It is difficult for individuals and businesses to assess what cyber risks they are exposed to and what protective measures are sensible for them. In addition to the difficulty of assessing cyber risks for themselves, it often remains unclear what support can be expected from the state. The broad portfolio of the NCS and its decentralised implementation make it difficult for outsiders to understand what measures the state is taking to improve Switzerland's protection against cyber risks. Active communication about the measures taken and the progress made is therefore one of the tasks of strategy implementation. Objectives and need for action Background In addition to communicating about the NCS, the federal government should also help raise awareness of cyber risks. Informing the population about cyber risks and possible protective measures contributes to prevention and improved resilience and helps reduce uncertainty. The results of the NCS have so far been communicated to the public via the annual reports, the annual meetings (NCS Conference and Cyber Landsgemeinde) and the website. However, feedback from the population, the private sector and policymakers has shown that the need for information about the existing instruments is not being met sufficiently. New incidents have also shown that it is still necessary to sensitise the public to cyber risks and to raise awareness of fundamental protection options. In future, the public will be informed more actively about implementation of the NCS, so that it becomes known beyond the circle of experts what measures the federal government is implementing to protect Switzerland against cyber risks. In the interest of prevention, the federal government should also make a greater contribution to raising awareness of cyber risks among the population, businesses and policymakers and to informing them about possible protective measures. Measures 28) Creation and implementation of a communication concept for the NCS The communication guidelines, responsibilities and processes are defined in a concept. The balance between confidentiality and the need for information is also discussed. The implementation of the concept via media and public relations work should be specific to target groups and actively promoted. 29) Raising public awareness of cyber risks The federal government aims to help raise public awareness of cyber risks. It strengthens communication about cyber risks and makes use of the existing capacities of associations and authorities already active in this area. 26