Swiss intelligence services
The Swiss intelligence services include all agencies of the Swiss Confederation entrusted with intelligence tasks . In addition to the Federal Intelligence Service ( NDB ) (French Service de renseignement de la Confédération , SRC , Italian Servizio delle attività informative della Confederazione ), this also includes the Military Intelligence Service ( MND ) (French Renseignement militaire, RM ), which is integrated into the army . Because of the federal structure of the Swiss federal state, cantonal offices also perform intelligence tasks. The cantons procure intelligence information in their field, both directly in application of the law and on special instructions from the FIS.
The Swiss intelligence services work with various other federal administration offices to obtain their intelligence. Cooperation with foreign partner services is also possible. In addition, the FIS may use various measures to obtain secret messages from the public. Finally, the Swiss intelligence services also have a system for clearing up satellite communications.
The Swiss intelligence services are controlled by various political and specialist bodies. Internal quality assurance ensures the legality, appropriateness, effectiveness and correctness of the data processing of the data processing. Independent supervisory bodies review the legality, appropriateness and effectiveness of all activities of the FIS. From a financial point of view, the control is carried out by the finance delegation of the parliament, meanwhile the supervision is incumbent on the business audit delegation. The legal basis for the activities of the Swiss intelligence services can be found in laws and ordinances.
Federal Intelligence Service (NDB)
Since January 1, 2010, a new security policy instrument has existed in Switzerland, the Federal Intelligence Service, or NDB for short. The new service was created by merging the Analysis and Prevention Service DAP and the Strategic Intelligence Service SND. The management of the FIS reports directly to the head of the Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS). The number of employees and the FIS issues are published annually on the Internet.
tasks
The FIS is not a law enforcement authority, which is why its activities must be distinguished from the repressive measures taken by the law enforcement authorities. Accordingly, he has no uniformed police force. The tasks of the uniformed police officers are carried out by the Federal Police Fedpol and the police corps of the cantons.
The tasks of the FIS are:
- Prevention and assessment of the situation for the attention of political decision-makers.
- Early detection and fight against terrorism, violent extremism, espionage, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their carrier technology as well as cyber attacks on critical infrastructures.
Partner and beneficiary
At federal level, the FIS primarily serves the Federal Council, the departments, in particular the DDPS, FDJP , EAER and EDA as well as the military command with its products. The FIS also supports the cantons in maintaining internal security and the law enforcement authorities at federal level. Abroad, the NDB maintains contacts with over 100 intelligence, police and security services worldwide.
Thematic areas of responsibility
According to the Intelligence Service Act, the tasks of the FIS are: terrorism, forbidden intelligence, proliferation, attacks on critical infrastructures and violent extremism.
Legal basis
The tasks and activities of the FIS are regulated in particular by the Federal Intelligence Service Act (Intelligence Service Act, NDG), which was approved in the referendum of 25 September 2016 with 65.5% yes-votes and on September 1, 2017 the previously applicable legal basis (BWIS and ZNDG). Due to the technological changes and the current threats, the Intelligence Service Act provided the FIS with modern means of obtaining information. . The Intelligence Service Act allows the FIS to use new procurement measures such as the monitoring of telephone calls or Internet activities. However, their application is subject to strict conditions and a multi-stage judicial and political approval process. With the NDG, supervision of the FIS was tightened at the same time.
Supervision and control
The activities of the FIS are monitored and controlled at various levels of government and administration. These controls concern the legality, appropriateness and effectiveness of the activities of the FIS. Its supervisory bodies are the business audit delegation (GPDel), the independent supervisory authority, the Federal Council, the independent supervisory authority (UKI), the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) and the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC).
Publications of the FIS
The FIS publishes the «Security Switzerland» management report annually. As part of his area of activity terrorism, he also publishes the number of jihad travelers, the number of people at risk and the users identified as part of the jihad monitoring. As part of its prevention and awareness-raising program “Prophylax” in the field of industrial espionage and the spread of weapons of mass destruction, the FIS continues to publish the brochure of the same name.
Police authorities within Switzerland that use intelligence information and resources
In the police corps of the cantons there are also state security departments that take on intelligence tasks. The 120 jobs across Switzerland are financed by the federal government. The state security departments serve the FIS as contact persons at cantonal level. The FIS forwards orders for intelligence clarifications to the cantons. The results are then collected centrally at the FIS, analyzed and integrated into the ongoing assessment of the threat situation.
controversy
On April 28, 2017, a former Zurich city police officer, later employee of the UBS “Group Security Services” department and then an independent expert on security issues , was arrested in Frankfurt am Main on the basis of an arrest warrant from the German Federal Supreme Court on suspicion of being an agent for the NDB.
According to information published by the research network NDR, WDR and Süddeutsche Zeitung at the beginning of May 2017, the arrest warrant revealed that he was suspected, among other things, of having placed a spy in the financial administration of North Rhine-Westphalia on behalf of the deputy head of the NDB .
Military Intelligence Service (MND)
The Military Intelligence Service emerged from the former Army Intelligence Service (AND). It provides the army with information on the progress of military operations. The MND works closely with the FIS. His findings support the head of the armed forces in his decisions (including the Federal Council ). He also reports regularly on the security situation in Kosovo, as the Swiss Army ( Swisscoy contingent) is doing peacebuilding there.
He also maintains contact with the military police and all military protection services. The MND works mainly operationally and tactically. The MND is subordinate to the “Operations Command” department of the Army Chief, which in turn reports to the DDPS.
Brigadier Daniel Krauer has headed the MND since 2020.
The Service for Preventive Protection of the Army (DPSA) is responsible for counter-espionage in the military sector. The DPSA is supported by the Einsatzkommando Military Police Search and Protection (SDMP). The latter is a militia formation that consists of conscripts and is only activated when necessary.
Monitoring of postal and telecommunications traffic (ÜPF)
The monitoring of mail and telecommunications traffic is an independent service in the IT Service Center of the Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP). It requires telecommunications providers to retain their telephony and email connection data and wants to be able to monitor all Internet traffic in Switzerland by 2009, in particular which websites are visited by whom and which files are transferred from the Internet to Swiss PCs .
The ÜPF has been subordinate to the FDJP since January 1, 2008.
The then head of the DBA ( Service for Special Tasks ), Adrien de Werra, received a Swiss Big Brother Award in 2002.
staff
The Federal Intelligence Service and the Military Intelligence Service employ staff from practically all professional groups. There is no general requirement profile for the various areas of intelligence service activities. In general, however, in addition to a sound training, an interest in foreign and security policy issues, foreign cultures, language skills and mobility are required. The employment requirements correspond to those of the federal administration. Open positions are advertised for applications in the Federal Administration's job advertisement.
Web links
- Federal Intelligence Service, NDB
- Military Intelligence Service, MND
- Post and Telecommunications Surveillance Service (ÜPF)
- Hans Senn: intelligence services. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
- Proposal for a Privacy Protection Guideline on Secret Personal Data Gathering and Transborder Flows of Such Data in the Fight against Terrorism and Serious Crime ( Memento from March 25, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 480 kB)
Individual evidence
- ↑ See Art. 2 VNDA .
- ↑ See Art. 4 ZNDG .
- ↑ Ordinance on the supervision of intelligence activities (VAND) of August 16, 2017 (as of September 1, 2017)
- ↑ See agreement of FinDel and GPDeI on the supervision of state security and the intelligence services of December 6, 2006 ( memento of the original of October 6, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. .
- ^ Intelligence Service Act (NDG) as well as the Ordinance on the Information and Storage Systems of the Federal Intelligence Service (VIS-NDB) and the Ordinance on the Intelligence Service (Intelligence Service Ordinance, NDV) .
- ↑ The Federal Intelligence Service in Figures , Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport DDPS, accessed on May 8, 2018.
- ↑ Voting result from September 25, 2016. Accessed December 24, 2016 .
- ↑ Explanations of the vote on September 25, 2016. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on July 29, 2016 ; accessed on December 24, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Industrial espionage , Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport, DDPS, accessed on May 8, 2018.
- ↑ Leo Müller: A grotesque from the world of spies. Balance sheet, August 21, 2015, accessed on May 4, 2017 .
- ↑ Florian Flade: Swiss spy is said to have spied on German tax investigators. April 30, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2018 .
- ↑ Switzerland placed informers in the German financial administration. In: sueddeutsche.de. May 3, 2017, Retrieved April 28, 2018 .
- ^ Sorrow Daniel. Retrieved April 17, 2020 .
- ↑ An independent service. April 28, 2015, accessed June 26, 2018 .
